


The Cure

by yaoilover226



Series: The Cure [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Drama & Romance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Was supposed to be a one shot but was too long, long chapters, mentioning of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 07:44:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 66,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11664681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaoilover226/pseuds/yaoilover226
Summary: When Severus Snape is called into the Headmaster's office after a tiring day of teaching he is not prepared to deal with the latest Potter incident. Discovering that Potter's magical core is damaged he knows time is running out for the Gryffindor. To save Potter's life they must go back in time to retrieve a plant that was eradicated several years ago. Will he be able to find the plant and make a cure in time?





	1. Part 1

Severus was not happy to be called into the Headmaster’s office. It had been a rather long and trying day dealing with inept brats. It had taken a huge restraint of control not to hex the blithering dunderheads as once again a simple potion had gone awry. Hours had been spent taking care of the aftermath, which was far too dangerous to be left to students that fully deserved detention. Only through quick thinking and action had he managed to get his students out before the classroom was caked with the remains of the cauldron explosion.

Oh, he was thoroughly aggravated by the whole situation, which was why he currently was storming his way up to the Headmaster’s office. Robes billowing as he took long strides past students who received the nastiest snares.

If he had it his way he would have expelled more than half of the student body at the beginning of their first year. Unfortunately despite his insistence Albus Dumbledore refused to expel any student over these many years. Above all it was the Gryffindors who seemed to make it a goal of destroying his classroom. He had half a mind to confront Minerva about disciplining the members of her house.

Making his way towards the statue guarding the Headmaster’s office he mumbled the password revealing the winding staircase. He took the stairs two at a time wanting as little of his precious time to be wasted. Out of courtesy he knocked before Albus called him to enter. Pushing through the door he was brought to a sight he had seen many times before: Harry bloody Potter sitting in the chair across of Albus and Minerva standing beside her Gryffindor golden boy. Undoubtedly this meant that another Potter incident had occurred.

Moving more into the room he could feel that something was off, which he quickly recognized came from Potter’s magical energy. Potter had grown into a fine young man and with it his magical core had strengthened to the point it was almost tangible. There was a significant difference in magical quality, it seemed weaker. Minerva moved aside enough for him to catch a glimpse at Potter. A quick assessment told him that Potter was looking weaker, his skin was flushed and eyes sunken as if the boy hadn’t slept in years.  
"Why is Mr. Potter not in the infirmary where he obviously should be?" He asked the Headmaster.  
"He refuses to go." Minerva said eyeing Potter, who was physically trying to shrink into the chair.  
"One would think he enjoyed his time in the infirmary considering how often he was admitted. It was my understanding that Madam Pomfrey was going to engrave his name into one of the beds." He drawled sarcastically.  
A small chuckled erupted from the boy wonder, who was doing his best to contain it. Something inside him calmed as he watched Potter's shoulders bounce up and down from the laughter threatening to slip through his fingers. Despite Potter being a brat on occasion Severus didn't like the despondent look on his face, of course, he would never say such a thing out loud.

 

 

Harry was doing his best to stifle his laughter. If he didn't know any better he would've thought Snape had intentionally made a joke to make him feel better. Such an impossible thought made it hard not to double over in laughter. Snape wasn't the type to make jokes he was the brooding stern type or so that's what he had always believed.

Regardless of it being intentional, this laughter was so soothing and well needed when faced with worried looks.

When Hermione and Ron had noticed he wasn't feeling well they had insisted that he go to the infirmary, which he had promised to do later. He truly believed it was nothing more than a cold that would soon pass without the need of Madam Pomfrey. The only reason he was in this current predicament was because he had fainted for a quick moment on the staircase leading up to Dumbledore's office while accompanied by Professor McGonagall.  
"I suggest we call someone from St.Mungo's to check Mr. Potter's head. There surely must be something wrong to incite such unnecessary reaction." He heard Snape say.  
He couldn't hold his laughter back. The way Snape spoke told him the man was amused by his reaction. Usually all remarks made by the potion professor was laced with snark and each word intended to cut a person down. It was one of the many reasons why the student body referred to the man as the snarky git dungeon bat. In this moment there was no harsh tone to these words, no malice behind their meaning. Harry never thought the day would come that he would be laughing at something Snape had said.

 

  
Severus couldn't fathom why he was attempting to cheer up Potter. It wasn't as if they were friends although they had grown more cordial to one another over the years. Perhaps the exhaustion of the day had taken its toll on him. Potter looked much better with a smile on his face he mused. The other occupants of the room must've thought so too as Minerva's face had relaxed and Albus was giving him a small smile.  
"I...I'm sorry sir...Perhaps you are right." Potter spoke between laughs.  
He watched as the old warped frames of Potter's glasses were lifted so the boy could wipe away tears. And then those large emerald orbs were looking at him, those eyes that just barely resembled Lily's. He took this moment to shift his attention back to Albus, who seemed way too keen about the exchange.  
"Potter requires medical treatment."  
"Poppy will be here momentarily." Albus said just as the floo burst with green flames and the medi-witch stepped through.  
Pomfrey went straight to Potter's side.  She looked confused at the sight of Potter in tears and quickly glanced around the room for an explanation.  
"I am fine."  
"You are most certainly not Mr. Potter. Now tell me what has brought you to me this time."

 

 

"I don't know."  
"I suggest that you be upfront with her Mr. Potter." Snape warned in his famous teacher voice.  
That tone could make nearly anyone comply.He was compelled to do the same the problem was that he honestly didn't know what was the cause of his fatigue. He wasn't feeling that horrid, he had gone through worse fits of illness growing up. He recalled a time he had gotten pneumonia and the Dursleys had refused to take him to the doctors until he became so weak that his uncle had to drag him out of the cupboard under the stairs. Days of high fevers and persistent chest pains went untreated was nothing compared to this. All he felt was tired. Even if he told them that there was no way he would be believed.  
"I really don't know."  
A huff came from Madam Pomfrey before she went about casting spells to reveal what was wrong with him. This part was by far the most comfortable of his many visits with the woman. What would come next was something he never looked forward to.  Harry silently thanked Merlin that he hadn't broken or lost any bones. Sometimes he could still taste the nasty drink he had been forced to chug down after the incident in second year. With all the visits he had acquired over the years he was surprised that his taste buds hadn't died from the foul treatments. Mentally he went over his list of potions he had taken ranking them from most foul to tolerable. If he was lucky he would receive something leaning more towards the tolerable side.  
"You’re sure you have no idea what has caused this?"  
Harry thought back to all he had done the day before but nothing stuck out in his mind. Pomfrey looked worried out of her mind and Harry knew she was being professional by not acting hysterical.  
"No." He said hanging his head low.  
"Is it serious?" McGonagall asked worriedly glancing at her student.  
"Of course it is." Snape snapped.

 

  
If there was one thing that truly set Severus Snape off it was dimwitted questions. He couldn't hold back the remark at Minerva's question. He knew the head of the house of Gryffindor was a powerful witch who no doubt sense the weakening of Potter's magical core so he couldn't let the idiotic question go. Any imbecile knew that anything that affected one's magical core could result in death. It did no one any good to hide that fact.  
"It is?" Potter asked, eyes wide in fear.  
A glare from Pomfrey shot towards his way. He felt as if he could kick himself for his bluntness. Often he forgot that Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World, still knew very little about their world. Years of being raised by muggles had robbed him of knowledge that was so common sense in their world that they weren't even taught about in Hogwarts. He knew from first-hand experience what it was like to be left in the dark about certain etiquette and common knowledge when he was a student at school. Severus refused to let his mind wander into the past, nothing came from reflecting on those times.  
"Professor Snape is correct." Madame Pomfrey said in a soft tone.  "Something is affecting your magical core. If not treated...."  
"You'll die."  He said when it became painfully obvious that Pomfrey couldn't bring herself to say the words.  
"Come with me Mr. Potter. I need to run more tests to determine the cause of this."  
The look of dread that came over Potter's face was one that he knew very well. As a student he had gone through rigorous medical treatments at the hand of Pomfrey. Since those days he had vowed never to receive treatment from her unless absolutely necessary. Even if he returned from a Dark Lord meeting feeling as if he were going to die he still refused to go to the infirmary.  He didn't envy Potter at this moment. A small smirk came with the thought of all the horrible concoctions Potter would have to endure. Afterall Potter would get through this scare unscathed.  
"Perhaps you would like to join us Professor Snape." Pomfrey said in a tone that told him it wasn't a request.  
With a curt nod he followed as Pomfrey ushered Potter into the floo. In a moment they were gone and he stepped into the now empty fire place.  
"Keep an eye on the boy." Albus said.  
He wanted to snap back at that comment claiming how he had always looked after Potter since his first year. Severus knew well enough not to rise to the bait and called out for his location. Green fire enveloped him and he was stepping into the fireplace in Madam Pomfrey's office. Pomfrey was already setting Potter into one of the many beds as he stepped into the empty infirmary. A curtain was drawn over them as the medi-witch began more invasive testing he assumed. There was nothing for him to do at the moment as he wasn't a medi-wizard so he took a nearby chair. Glancing around the infirmary he contemplated how this place seemed to not have changed since he was a student. Years had gone by and yet everything looked exactly the same from the uniformed bedding to the aged paintings on the wall. He could practically see a younger version of himself lying in the bed across of him covered in bruises and scrapes from the many fights he had gotten in with James Potter’s gang.    
This place made his stomach lurch even more than the location of the Dark Lord's meetings. Without a doubt once he was free to leave this place he would be spending the night nursing a glass of fire whiskey. After a day like today he deserved a glass or two regardless of it being a school night.  The movement of curtain alerted him of Pomfrey's approach.  Her face held a quizzical look mixed with sadness. Whatever she was about to say was not going to be good.  
  
Harry laid back on the bed hoping that the tests were over. He hadn't a moment to ask questions as Madam Pomfrey had gone from one test to another, each making her face drop slightly. Desperately he wanted to ignore those looks or the comment Snape had made about him possibly dying.  He had gone through the wallowing in self-pity stage a few years back and had come to terms of possibly dying, but he had believed that it would be at the hands of Voldemort.  For now he didn't want to think about that.

 

 

"What is it Pomfrey?"  
"My office please."  
Glancing at Potter's bed one last time he followed her into the office. As he put up a silencing charm around them he noticed that her eyes didn't leave the direction of Potter.    
"I'm afraid that all the pressure has gotten to him." She said above a whisper.  
"Explain."  
"I did multiple tests and... It appears he has consumed a large amount of various potions."  
"What are you insinuating?"  
From her look he could gather what she was attempting to say.  He would scoff at the thought if it weren't such a serious manner. Mixing multiple potions together could be rather deadly. Personally he knew of one person who had died in that manner. There was no way what he was being told was true.  
"You think Potter tried to kill himself?"He spoke softly as if Potter were able to hear them through the charms.  
"I don't want to believe it either Severus....I...I don't know what other reason such a mixture would be in his system."  
"The Headmaster should be notified."  
"This is a very delicate situation...I am able to help flush out some of the remnants, but it has been in his system since last night if my scans are correct."  
In all the years he knew Pomfrey her diagnosis was never wrong and that unsettled him right now. Depending on the mixture of potions Potter had taken consecutively the effects on his magical core could possibly be irreversible. Severus knew he couldn't simply confront Potter and interrogate him about this. If the boy wonder had attempted to take his own life such an approach wouldn't do the boy any good. A situation like this was not something he could deal with effectively.  
"Please Could you keep an eye on him while I gather some of my things."  
"Very well." He said before removing the charm and exiting the office.

 

 

Sleep was calling to him and yet he was unable to let his eyes shut. He had felt this way since last night and didn't know why. Not even a Dreamless Sleep potion had helped him fall into a deep slumber last night. Harry wondered if the lack of sleep had affected his magical core to the extent that it warranted the worry of his professors and Madam Pomfrey. To him that didn't make sense considering all the years at the Dursleys that he had received little sleep and even less food. There had to be more to it than just lack of sleep then again he didn't know much about magical cores or what weakened them.  
Turning his head to the side he watched as a silhouette moved across the curtains around his bed. Slowly the silhouette tugged at the edge of the curtain and Snape smoothly stepped through. Something in those dark eyes made him want to cry. The Usual stern look was nowhere to be found on the potion Professor’s face. No hate, no anger, not even annoyance was in those eyes. Those dark eyes were devoid of emotion as they peered into his very soul. For a split second he thought the man was using legilimency on him, yet there was no noticeable push into his mind.  
“Sir?”  
Their eye contact broke as Snape took the seat beside him. Things must have been very serious for the man who hated him to be sitting so close by. Silence hung between them was very uncomfortable. Fidgeting under the gaze of his professor he tried to voice the million questions floating around in his mind.  
“Mr. Potter.”  
He had heard this man say his name so many times over the years, but not like this. His name had come out so quiet that if it weren’t for the silence of the infirmary he would’ve missed it. Tears were threatening to make its way out of his eyes.

 

 

Severus Snape didn’t do emotions nor emotional displays. Above all crying wasn't something he could handle. Perhaps it was his upbringing or the struggles he faced in life made him thoroughly unqualified to properly care for someone on the verge of tears. Lacking the ability to console another forced him to push on the emotional well-being onto other Professors such as Minerva. Minerva was the right person to handle this not him. She would be more than comfortable to embrace the boy and tell him that things were alright. With a reputation like his students weren’t flocking his office door with their emotional distress.  
He needed Pomfrey to return. If Potter started to sob he wouldn’t know what to do. Those emerald eyes were looking for him to give something that he simply couldn’t give. And there was the matter of broaching the subject of Potter’s possible suicide attempt. It was unthinkable for the golden boy to commit such an act, then again he had gone through much pressure since entering their world. Surely anyone would crack under the pressure of being given ‘the honor’ to destroy the Dark Lord. As someone who fought for both sides he knew that the fight was not simply a one on one affair, yet the way Albus put so much emphasis on the prophecy making it sound as if it were all up to this child. No Harry Potter wasn’t much of a child anymore, he had already endured more than anyone his age. In truth, this young man before him had endured way too much and had lost even more. The war was still upon them and those too ignorant to realize that were blessed fools who may not make it. Neither he nor Potter had such luxury to live in such ignorance. If he were more of an emotional man perhaps he would tell Potter that he knew of the suffering he had faced.

 

 

“Alright Mr. Potter I need you to cooperate with me on this.” Madam Pomfrey said wheeling in some strange contraption.  
Harry groaned at the sight of the thing. Whatever this thing was he was sure it was going to be uncomfortable.  
“At least I don’t have to drink anything awful.” He muttered to himself.  
“The night is still young.” Snape said with the tiniest smirk.  
Now he was sure that he was in seriously bad shape; this had been the third time Snape had made a snide comment that was surely meant to be a joke. And somehow he knew that smirk was not intended to be cruel. He could laugh again for when wasn’t the dungeon bat cruel or snarky? Maybe them missing dinner for yet another Potter incident as Snape called them was affecting them. Hunger was a possibility considering he personally hadn’t eaten anything all day and he didn’t remember seeing the man at the head table at either eating time.  
“I shall leave you in capable hands.” Snape said getting up from the chair.  
“Actually...”  
“What is it?”  
He didn’t know why the word had come out. In any other visitation to Madam Pomfrey he would’ve outright denied the man to be anywhere near him. Today was different he wanted the man to stay. Snape was the only one who didn’t look at him with pity. The man was curt bordering on cruel in his words and held the demeanor of indifference, which was somehow comforting to have in times like this. How could he tell the man that though?  
“Nothing...Sorry.”  
A nod was all he got from Snape before the man disappeared behind the curtain. As Madam Pomfrey brought the device closer he felt like the non-existent contents of his stomach was going to rise up.  
“Let us begin.”

 

 

Severus took the moment to return to the Headmaster’s office to report on what was taking place. Someone had to relieve him of this duty he couldn’t go back to see the young Gryffindor in this current state. He knew that in a matter of minutes Madam Pomfrey would expel the remaining of the potions Potter had consumed, which would tell them exactly what he had digested. As someone well versed in potions he would have ‘the privilege’ to inform the medi-witch of the damage done. Potions were a delicate thing if one ounce was off during brewing the result could range from explosions to the potion having ill effects. Mixing potions proposed a whole new set of issues. Some potions used for medical purposes could be used in tandem with others without a problem while certain combinations could poison you. The thought of the numerous combinations that could be very deadly came to him with far too much ease. Queasy feeling churned inside from the thoughts and memories.  
“Ah Severus my boy welcome back!” Albus chimed.  
At times like this he truly hated the Headmaster’s uplifting tone. There were just things in life that weren’t solved with lemon drops and tea.  
“I have come to inform you that Pomfrey has discovered the reason behind Mr. Potter’s horrid state.”  
“Thank Merlin.” Minerva sighed.  
“Mr. Potter is in the capable hands of Pomfrey at the moment, however there is a problem which I simply cannot assist in.”  
“You’re worrying me Severus.”  
“What I have to say will worry you even more.”  
“Please explain my boy.”Albus said.  
“It appears that there was a highly dangerous amount of mixed potions in his system. Currently Madam Pomfrey is flushing out his system to negate any more damage, but nothing is guaranteed.Depending On the mixture he took there might not be a means of prevention for the inevitable.”  
“How did this happen?”  
“Madame Pomfrey believes that it was self-inflicted.”  
“That simply cannot be!” Minerva said shooting up from her seat. “He...He would never...I am going to see him!”  
He was more than grateful at Minerva determinedly stepping through the Floo. Having her in the infirmary to console her Gryffindor would be for the best. Although he knew Pomfrey would request his assistance he felt desperate to go back to his quarters. He was about to make the long trudge towards the dungeons when Albus placed a hand on his shoulder. Twinkling eyes practically bore into his own for a split second.  
“Come my boy.” Albus motioned to the floo.  
“With all due respect Headmaster, I don’t think my presence will be helpful in this manner.”  
“Nonsense. From what I’ve seen you are what the boy needs right now.”  
“You need to get your eyes checked. What Potter needs is someone like Minerva not someone with the reputation of the school’s snarky dungeon bat.”  
“You are far too hard on yourself.”Albus said motioning to the floo.

 

 

The verdict was in, this latest treatment was by far one of the worst things he had gone through at the hands of Madam Pomfrey. Given an option, he would choose to drink a disgusting potion over the device. His stomach felt as though it had been gutted out as he laid back onto the bed. A silhouette danced across the curtain bringing up hope that Snape had returned. Such hopes were dashed when Professor McGonagall stepped through.  
“How is he doing?” She asked the medi-witch.  
“He’ll be recovering from the treatment. In the meantime, we have to wait.”  
He wished that people wouldn’t talk about him when he was right there. Shimmying up the bed was painful, it felt like knives were digging into him at the slightest move.  
“Where... Where is Professor Snape?” He asked in a hoarse voice.  
“Don’t worry about that.” McGonagall said moving to take his hand. “If you don’t want him here he doesn’t have to be.”  
Shaking his head he looked into his head of house's eyes. Professor McGonagall was far too worried to realize that he had no problem with Snape's presence.  
“Mr. Potter...”  
That tone was in her voice again. How he hated that tone, the tone that people used when someone was thought to be as fragile as glass. Fragile wasn’t a word he would use to describe himself. After all that he had gone through in his short life he was far from being fragile. This was just another Potter incident and like all the others he would get out of it in one piece.  
“You do know that you could always come to me to talk about anything don’t you Mr.Potter?”  
He nodded unsure of where this was going.  
“Is there anything you wanted to tell me?”  
He wracked his brain of what it was that Professor McGonagall wanted him to say. So far he hadn’t caused too much trouble this year. Sure there was the occasional prank here and there, but nothing that warranted him disclosing to his head of house. “No.”  
McGonagall's lips formed a thin line at his response.  
“Mr. Potter I am not here to judge you.” She spoke softly. “Sometimes life can be overbearing...When things get to be that way it’s okay to turn to someone. There are many people who care for you. Your friends and even professors want to see you live a full life. So many would be at a lost without you.”  
Harry didn’t know what to say. His heart began to sink at the words. It sounded as if Professor McGonagall had already given up on him. Worry was one thing complete lack of hope was another.  
“You should rest. We can talk tomorrow.”  
He nodded, too worried that his voice would reveal how hurt he felt. With one last small smile McGonagall left. Now that he was alone he curled up on the bed. Despite the motion being painful he hugged his knees to his chest, this position often was the only comfort he had against the bad things in his life. Being in the infirmary he couldn’t put up a silencing charm without alerting the medi-witch. He had to settle for smothering his cries with his pillow.

 

 

After much insistence and an internal debate, Severus had returned to Madam Pomfrey's office. He still refused to be there while Minerva took care of Potter’s emotional needs. All he had to do was wait for the results from Pomfrey and he could retreat to his own room. Albus wouldn’t have approved of him sitting back, but he figured he had done enough of what that old coot asked of him. Wasn’t it enough that he was in the vicinity of Potter? Already he had sat by the boy, which he knew was uncomfortable for both parties.  
The chimes in the office alerted him that someone had left the infirmary, in all likelihood it was Minerva who left. Madam Pomfrey came in holding a scroll. He took the parchment without a word and made his way out of the office. The look on the medi-witch’s face said that she wanted to talk , but he was all talked out. Sleep. He needed sleep and a drink. Tomorrow would come and he would be in a better mindset to address the issue. Quietly and quickly he moved passed Potter’s bed. Muffled crying made him turn back. Glancing at the drawn curtain he wondered if he should do something. What could he do?  
“Minerva was supposed to help the boy.” He thought as he turned on his heels back to Potter’s bed.  
In a not so gentle manner, he peeled back the curtain. Potter physically jumped at his entrance. The current position of the school’s golden boy was something he never thought he would see. Potter was curled up on himself, hugging a pillow that was soaked with tears. Contrary to rumors about him he didn’t enjoy seeing any student in this state.  
“Potter, what has brought on this blubbering?”  
His words weren’t kind nor the ones Potter needed. Severus was well aware that he could do more harm than good, but how was he suppose to leave knowing that Potter was sniveling? He couldn’t be cruel enough to walk away, which is why he resumed the seat he had previously occupied.  
“Sorry Sir.”  
“Just answer the question Mr. Potter.” He said pinching the bridge of his nose.  
He couldn’t tell why he was torturing himself like this. How was anything he done had helped Potter or himself today? Couldn’t he just let the boy cry in peace? Wasn’t he dying to get back to the comfort of his own room and drink away the stress of the day? What would sitting here by Potter’s bedside accomplish? There wasn’t anything he could offer, not kind words, not advice, not even a spell to comfort him.

 

 

"You want to know why I am crying?" He asked, lifting his head from the damp pillow.  
"I simply am inquiring why Professor McGonagall was clearly unable to address your emotional needs."  
"I don't understand."  
"Why is that?" Snape asked with an arched brow.  
"I...It's..."  
Words were failing him. A part of him wanted to forget about this day push Snape out of the room then curl up into a small ball. Why couldn't the man leave him to cry? Muffling his sobs had done nothing to prevent him from being put on the spot. Nothing was more embarrassing than being caught sniveling by the sternest professor in school.  
"You must think me weak." He mumbled under his breath.  
If Snape heard his mumbles the man didn't react, then again the man rarely did react to things. Harry wished that he was a little more like the potion professor, having the ability to control one's reactions was surely something that he could use more of.  
"If you do not wish to talk I'll take my leave."  
"No!" He said quickly sitting up.  
Snape's eyebrow remained arched as he met the older man's gaze. He didn't want to Snape to leave with the thought that he was crying for no reason. Summoning some of that trademark Gryffindor bravery he prepared to tell Snape what was going on in his mind.  
"Sir...I don't know how to feel about all this...If it's not one thing it's another. After everything I...I just thought." He knew he wasn't making much sense. Taking a breath he tried again. "What's upsetting me is that when Professor McGonagall was talking with me earlier it felt like she had given up on me."  
"I'm sure she had no intention of coming off that way. She is fond of you so much so that she barely does her job disciplining your rule breaking tendencies."  
Harry was shocked at Snape's response. He had expected some comment about him being a baby and that he should grow up and realize that life was tough. For some odd reason, this man had been doing a lot of surprising things in these last few hours.  
"I know she cares about me. The way she spoke though saying that a lot of people would miss me if I was gone made me feel like she was sure I would be dead by tomorrow."  
" I assure you that won't happen."  
" I thought you would be happier without me around." He nervously laughed.  
"Listen Potter." Snape said in a stern tone as he leaned forward in his chair. "I may think you a brat and a pest at times. And the way you get away with every little thing vexes me to no end, but I would never rejoice at the news of your death. No One should feel that things have gotten to the point that there was no reason to go on living."  
Taking in those words brought up a mix of emotions within him. He wanted to cry and smile. Something about what Snape said also bothered him so much that he couldn't let it go unspoken. Pairing what was said by McGonagall and Snape made it all fit together. Even the looks he got from Madam Pomfrey fit this realization. He had to ask to be sure. Regardless of how hard it would be to ask this question he needed to know.  
"Do you... They think I tried to kill myself?"

 

  
That question had hit him harder than he thought possible. Harry Potter was a Gryffindor in every sense of the word and as such was a thorn in his side for several years.  Potter wouldn’t attempt suicide, then again Severus knew suicide wasn’t something that affected only one type of person. Hearing Potter ask that question with sorrow and shock filling those emerald orbs showed him that there was still some sliver of innocence left within the Gryffindor.  Silently breathed a sigh of relief that the damage to Potter's magical core hadn't been an intentional act against his life. If Potter admitted to an attempt on his life he couldn't sit back. There were things in this life that he didn't want to repeat.  
"Madame Pomfrey's tests showed that there was a high quantity of various potions within your system. When certain potions are mixed within a wizard's system the mixture  can become deadly as it can damage one's magical core."  
"You can die from mixed potions?"  
"Yes." He said quickly, not wanting haunting memories to come up to the surface.  
"I would never do that. I couldn't do that."  
"I know." The words slipped out before he could calculate their effects. "It has been a long day. You should rest."  
Now that he knew Potter hadn't done this to himself he needed answers. He had yet to look at the parchment from Pomfrey but prayed to Merlin that he would be able to combat the mixture's effects. As he left Potter's side he swore he heard the boy whisper him a good night.

 

 

The night hadn't been as rough as he expected. Without a Dreamless Sleep potion it usually took him hours before he could doze off, which usually led him to drift off in the early mornings. Being in the infirmary always aggravated his insomnia, however this time was different. When Snape left he expected to stare up at the ceiling until he had gotten bored. A calm sleep was the furthest thing he had expected, yet here he was waking up to a brand new day. The exhaustion he felt yesterday was gone. He wanted to jump out of bed run up to the Headmaster's office and claim that his Potter luck had once again saved him. Nearly he did fly out of bed, however when he moved a sharp pain shot through him.  
"I should've known it was too good to be true."  
Clutching his blanket he rode out the wave of pain. As it slowly faded Pomfrey came in with a large tray filled with food. Seeing the medi-witch he did his best not to let the fading pain show on his face.  
"You should eat something Mr. Potter. I would like to check on your vitals afterward."  
Growling his stomach agreed with the medi-witch's proposal. This time when he moved no pain shot through him and he greedily bit into a muffin. Food tasted so good after yesterday's aversion. Nausea remained at bay while he consumed the majority of what was on the tray. It was perhaps the most food he had ever ate in one sitting. Chugging the pumpkin juice the patter of someone walking into the infirmary echoed off the stone floor. Right away he knew it wasn't Snape, one of the man's abilities was being able to walk briskly without his steps being audible. His ears perked up when he realized it wasn't one set of footsteps but two.  
"Hi mate how are you feeling?" Ron asked as he stepped through the curtain.  
"We were so worried about you." Hermione added.  
"I'm feeling a lot better now."  
"It sure looks that way." Hermione said eyeing the remnants of his breakfast tray."It's good to see you eating again."  
"Yeah mate. So did you get the all clear?"  
Harry didn't know how much he should say. He knew that telling them something was possibly wrong with his magical core would upset his friends. Hermione would run off to do as much research as possible, which would give him a headache more than anything at this point. Snape had given him just enough knowledge last night for him to know that this wasn't a normal occurrence, then again when did anything that happen to him was normal? Why couldn't he just be a typical sixteen-year-old?  
"Not yet. You know how Madam Pomfrey is she'll keep me forever if she could."  
"I would actually prefer going more than a few weeks without having you in here." Madam Pomfrey said.  
"We should get going to class." Hermione said giving an apologetic look to the medi-witch.  
"I'll bring you something to entertain you if you're not released before lunch." Ron said following after his girlfriend.  
Ron took Hermione's hand as they walked out. Harry was happy that they were finally together. Years of them fighting not to acknowledge something so blatantly obvious was frustrating. Once they became a couple he had a sliver of worry that he would be a third wheel. He had no reason to worry according to Hermione they would always be a trio. For the most part they were,they still hung out and got into trouble like old times. Ron and Hermione were very respectful always making sure that pda was limited to hand holding or a kiss on the cheek. More than anything he was overjoyed that his two best friends in the world were happy together in a time that happiness was increasingly difficult to grasp.  
"Let's see how you're holding up Mr. Potter."

 

  
Utterly exhausted Severus entered his classroom. Teaching was low on the list of priorities at the moment, still he had to do his job. Snapping at a late student and taking points from Gryffindor had no effect on his mood. He was going through the motions while his mind was working out the latest Potter incident. The list of potions Potter had in his system were so numerous he didn't see how the boy survived. In addition to the sheer quantity, the mixture was one of the most deadly combinations possible. Even though Potter hadn't done this to himself intentionally, the results left little room for other possibilities. One possibility would be that Potter was forced to drink several potions one right after the other and then had memories erased, yet that held little to no water. For one there was the issue of how would anyone get that much potions without him realizing it. The next issue was that his stocks were untouched, he had spent hours last night checking and rechecking to see if anything was stolen. Afterwards, he had instructed Pomfrey to check her own supplies, which too was untouched. Even with magic it would be impossible for someone to restore the amount of potions that would've been stolen without either of them noticing. He didn't trust a student enough to copy the instructions of his lessons let alone let them touch valuable ingredients, so he also had ruled out a breaking in of the classroom. Painstakingly he had counted each of the ingredients that he had kept in the secured cupboards in the classroom. Everywhere he turned there were no answers of how the mixture had gotten into Potter's system.There had to be something they were missing, something so minute that could be easily overlooked. The one thing he had managed to have progressed in was a possible antidote for Potter's weakened magic core, which proposed its own set of issues.  
"In light of yesterday's disaster, I want a twelve-foot scroll on proper brewing safety and etiquette. Open to page 26." He instructed his class.  
Groans erupted from several students to which he shot glares at. Sleep hadn't come to him last night due to his racing mind and he was in desperate need of a rest. Luckily teaching was something he had learned to do effectively when he had little energy left. As he began lecturing he consulted a tattered note book which he had written notes many years ago. This notebook was something he rather to never open again. Many times out of frustration he had attempted to destroy it, but by some grace he always stopped himself. This notebook held information that could save Potter.

 

 

Madam Pomfrey hadn't given him the all clear before lunch. No pleas of wanting to go to class was getting him out of this place. She kept an eye on him so he couldn't make a break for it. Even going to the bathroom was monitored with the medi-witch standing outside the door. Still Harry felt this was a waste of time and energy for the medi-witch. He was feeling good for the most part. The sharp pains came and went infrequently, but if he leaned a certain way he could go without feeling like his air supplies was temporarily cut off. If he could just figure out how to counter the symptoms he could go on with his everyday life again. Madam Pomfrey had previously taken away his wand so he didn't know how he would feel if he did any magic, even so he was determined to show her that he was capable of leaving this place in one piece.  
Ron was true to his word. As soon as it was time for lunch he had come by with Hermione with a chess set in tow.  
"How you holding up mate?"  
"I've been bored out of my mind all day."  
"We'll remedy that." Hermione said lifting up her purse. " I hope you don't mind that I went into your trunk a little."  
"Not at all."  
From her bag she pulled out some muggle comic books that she had gifted him a few years back for his birthday, it was the first comics he'd ever owned. Hermione had gifted him thick books as well, but he had yet to read them. Hopefully he would have to stay here long enough to break open one of the books.  
"I also bought some essentials." Ron said as he pulled out two handfuls of candy from his robes.  
"Thanks a lot you guys. Care for a round of chess Ron?"  
"Prepare to be sorely beaten!"  
As Ron set the board in the middle of his bed Hermione dealt with Dobby, who had popped up with his lunch. Seeing that his friends had come for a visit Dobby insisted on getting them food as well. By the time the house-elf had returned Ron was already making his first move. He picked at his lunch as he calculated his moves. Since the first time he had played chess with Ron he had made it a goal of his to one day beat the redhead. Today wasn't going to be the day, he could tell after a few moves in. Ron wasn't the kind of person to go easy on his opponents, even if they were sick, but that was something he was grateful for. In everything he had faced he appreciated that he never truly went through things alone. Having these two by his side made his crazy life feel more normal.  
"I love you guys."  
"Don't think buttering me up will save you from losing." Ron said as he took another pawn.  
"I know. I just wanted to tell you both that you mean a lot to me."  
"Harry?" Hermione asked, lifting her face from the book she was reading. "Is there something wrong?"  
Lying to Hermione was risky business. As the smartest person in school he knew it would only take her a moment to work things out. Perhaps she had already figured it out and was waiting to hear it from him. He couldn't say it.  
"Yeah Ron won't let me win."  
"Hey if you want to win you have to do it on your own." Ron teased as he made his last move. "Checkmate!"  
They all burst into laughter. His laughter was cut short by the sharp pain in his chest that had been bothering him all day. Doing his best to hide his pain he smiled at Ron's still laughing face. Hermione gave him a concerned look, which he chose to ignore.

 

 

By lunch time Severus was ready to call it a day, unfortunately he still had classes to teach. He decided to forego lunch in the Great hall to spend his time in his office. Opening the notebook he had contemplated for the last several hours he pulled out the texts that was in his references. Some of these texts he hadn't looked at in years. There was good reason why they sat untouched for so long, however now there was a greater reason to open them. Whatever ghosts of his past that he had to face again was going to be worth it, that he was going to make sure of. Pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve himself of an oncoming headache he threw himself into the text. Before these were abandoned on his shelves he had read them over a hundred times. As he turned the page Deja Vu hit him hard. Unpleasantly he could recall specific passages that had stumped him in the past. The years away had given him a fresher look at the theories he had developed long ago.  
The roar of his office fireplace made him look up from his work. There was no worry about anyone stepping out of the fireplace since he had ordered  
Albus to keep the floo connection closed. Hoping to make the firecall end as soon as possible he brought his text with him.  
"What do I owe the pleasure?" He asked the fire image of Albus.  
"I Didn't see you at lunch."  
"That isn't exactly unusual. As you can see I'm quite busy and have a class to attend to in a few minutes."  
"Of course. Please come by my office after your last class."  
"Anything else?"  
"Don't forget to take care of yourself. You look exhausted."  
"I assure you I am fine. I will see you later this evening." He said before cutting the conversation short.  
With a nod Albus's flame image disbursed. Sighing he closed the text, grabbed the notebook and headed to his classroom. This particular class was one that he was not looking forward to. Teaching potions with the Gryffindors and Slytherins were always a challenge in keeping his composure. The rival houses fed off each other in a way that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws didn't, making the classroom a tense place at times. As head of Slytherin he knew the members of his house worked hard to succeed in his classroom, but that didn't inspire Gryffindors to do the same. Gryffindors tended to play around resulting in horrible messes that he often had to clean himself. Of Course he wasn't oblivious to the occasions when one of his Slytherins would play a prank on unsuspecting Gryffindors. Severus wasn't a perfect man he had often looked the other way at the harmless pranks due to his favoritism. However when he noticed something potentially dangerous he quickly put an end to it and sent the culprits to detention. The one thing that put Slytherins in a better position than any other house was their fear of disappointing him.  
House Rivalry interfering with learning was not what he was worried about this time. The two Gryffindors that composed the famous Potter trio was going to be there. On occasion there had been classes where the trio was a duo, however this time was different. Potter's condition was severe if not addressed so the duo would not be in the best mindset.  
Stepping into the classroom he glanced at the duo expecting them to seem distressed. To his surprise they acted as if it was a typical day. Their lack of sorrow told him that Potter hadn't disclosed what was going on. As much as he appreciated not having students erupt into tears at the news of Potter's possible fate, he questioned why the boy wonder wouldn't let his closest friends know about his state of health. Potter was more of a mystery than he gave the young man credit for. Last Night they had more than a decent conversation. Such events had helped him see the Gryffindor in a light he hadn't before. Since Potter's first year he had compared him to his no good father. The-Boy-Who-Lived was a title young Potter had been slapped with, but back then Severus thought the boy would walk around with the arrogance of being the savior of the Wizarding World. It took a long time for him to separate his presumptions from whom Potter truly was. It was still something he had to be mindful of.  
"Potter has been occupying too much of my thoughts. I should be teaching." He mentally scolded himself. "Open your texts to page 26."  
Almost on cue Mrs. Granger's hand shot up.  
"Professor Snape this is double potions shouldn't we be starting on..."  
"Mrs. Granger." He interrupted. "I am well aware of what class this is. We will resume the lesson from last meeting after we go over proper brewing safety and etiquette. Just because this class is advanced does not mean we can forget safety procedures." He took a moment to glare at the whole classroom as he continued his speech. "When we start brewing I don't want any mishaps. The second years had already seen to destroying my class this week so I will not tolerate any horseplay. Understood?" With audible gulps and head nods he proceeded. "Now open to page 26."

 

 

Harry sighed for the umpteenth time. Madam Pomfrey had confiscated a majority of the candy Ron had given him shortly after his friends had left claiming that he should be watching his sugar consumption. It was hard to stop himself from telling the med-witch to give him a break since he could die at any moment. He knew that she wouldn't have appreciated those words and if she was one of those who thought he had tried to kill himself a comment like that wouldn't help his case. The comics Hermione brought were ones that he read so many times that he practically memorized them. Perhaps it was Hermione's plan to bring these in hopes that he would get bored enough to read the book she had brought him.  
"Nice try Hermione." He said turning the page of the comic in his hands.  
Knowing what was going to happen on the next page made it difficult to stay engaged with the story. His mind wandered to his friends in doubles potions without him. For once he was envious of them to go to potions class. Today's assignment was one he had felt so confident in that he could brew it without Hermione double checking all of his steps. Now he was confined to this bed while his friends got to brew a potion they had spent a week learning all about its history and uses.  
"I would rather be in his class now."  
A train of thought took him to the conversation he had with Snape last night. It couldn't have been a dream since he didn't have enough imagination to come up with something like that. And he didn't want last night to be a dream, well at least the parts concerned with Snape. The potions professor had been kind to him. Kindness wasn't something the man showed often, especially to the-boy-who-he-hated-the-most. After last night he didn't know how to feel about the man after all Snape had said that he wouldn't be happy if he died. Something about that made his heart beat a little faster. If he remembered correctly Snape had promised him that he would live to see today too. All of it was surreal. If he could talk about the events of last night without having to talk about his damaged magical core he would divulge it all to his best friends. They would say he was out of his mind for thinking Snape would cheer him up or listen to his troubles.  
"I'll keep it to myself." He smiled at the secret.  
"And what is it we are keeping to ourselves Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she came in for another vital check.  
"I was just thinking out loud about my comics." He lied.  
"That is some strange literature you have there."  
"It's a muggle thing."  
"I see." She said as she cast the same spells he had come to expect. "How are you feeling Mr. Potter?"  
"Not bad."  
"Be honest with me."  
"Sometimes I get a sharp pain in my chest and I feel like I can't breathe, but it's not so bad once you get used to it."  
"I prefer if you didn't have to get used to such pain. Unfortunately I can't administer anything to help ease the pain...."  
There was that sad look again. There was no reason for her to walk on eggshells around him.  
"Madam Pomfrey."  
"Yes Mr. Potter?"  
"I...I just wanted to let you know that I didn't do this to myself on purpose. I didn't try to kill myself."  
"Thank Merlin." She said as tears fell from her eyes.  
Seeing the usual collected woman tear up made his own tears start to flow. When the woman leaned forward he hugged her tight. Truly he hadn't realized how the thought of him possibly being suicidal had weighed on her. He could only imagine how hard Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore was dealing with that false thought. Even Snape must've been concerned. If it weren't for the man's words he would still have thought that those he had come to trust had lost hope in him.

 

 

Keeping a sharp eye on each student during the brewing had paid off. Not one cauldron exploded nor one student injure themselves. By the end of class two groups had produced a nearly perfect potion while the rest were of a decent enough quality. Dismissing his class he watched as each student file out. He half expected the duo to approach him, but if Potter hadn't divulged his current situation than there was no reason for the duo to willingly talk to him outside of class. Making sure that all students were gone he secured the finish potions. He had to be even more careful now that he knew someone had intentionally poisoned Potter. Even if the potions weren't stolen from him he wouldn't make it a possibility. In the back of his mind Severus knew that he was prolonging the inevitable as he straightened up his office. More than ever he didn't want to meet with the Headmaster nor did he want to see Potter. Hiding in his room and drink away bad memories was not an option. Slipping his tattered note book into the inner pocket of his robes he left for the Headmaster office.  
Walking to the Headmaster's office was always more preferable than flooing. Unless it was an emergency he rarely used the floo connections of Hogwarts, perhaps his aversion to them were because of past memories of fumbling out of them when he was younger and getting used to the magical transportation. Shaking his head of past thoughts once again he arrived at the statue. With the password given and stairs ascended he readied himself to be face to face with the old coot.  
"Have a seat my boy." Albus chimed. "Lemon drop? Tea?"  
"No thank you." He said as he took his usual seat.  
Severus couldn't understand how many more times he would have to refuse the wretched candy for Albus to understand that he would never accept the offer. And the tea was out of the question. Albus was notorious for spiking the tea with Calming Draught or something else if the headmaster was feeling mischievous. He supposed that Albus could get away with such things solely because of his status. Albus was far from senile despite how often he acted that way. The Headmaster always appeared to be scheming and Severus often tried not to get tangled in those schemes.  
"Perhaps something more solid would be better. When was the last time you ate?"  
It wasn't unusual for him to go without eating for a few days. Research always took priority over basic necessities like food. Albus question made him realize that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday. This wasn't a healthy habit of his, yet his mind had gone into overdrive at the mystery of Potter's damaged magical core leaving no time for food or sleep. With a pop sound a house elf appeared with a spread of finger sandwiches. To appease the Headmaster he took one off the plate and ate it.  
"Surely you didn't call me just to watch me eat."  
"I did not."  
"Has Potter's condition deteriorated?" He asked nonchalantly.  
"Pomfrey is doing her best to keep him stable.I have yet to see him, but Ms. Granger has informed me that he is looking better than yesterday."  
Severus knew that an improvement in outer appearances didn't guarantee a clean bill of health. Memories were threatening to breach again. Unconsciously he placed his hand on the old notebook in his pocket.  
"Is that all?"  
"Pomfrey has also informed me that Harry told her that this wasn't a self-inflicted act. But you already knew that."  
Often he wondered if the position of Headmaster gave Albus the ability to know everything that went on in Hogwarts. The all knowing nature of the man was something he had tried to figure out time and time again with little success. The old coot knew far too much even for a Legilimens. Regardless he wasn't going to admit to the late night chat he had with Potter.  
"Potter wouldn’t take his own life." He said getting up from his chair. " I think we have wasted enough time here. I need to discuss the results with Pomfrey."

 

  
Harry was starting to read the book Hermione had given him during the lunch break. So far it wasn't as boring as he thought it was going to be. After Madam Pomfrey had gone over his vitals yet again she had left him to attend to something else. Admitting to his situation not being self-inflicted had granted him a little more freedom from the medi-witch's attention. No more had he dealt with her standing outside the door of the bathroom, but she still poked her head to check on him every thirty minutes or so. The pains he felt every so often weren't as much of a shock after the initial time. Every once in awhile he could feel his magic flicker like a flame, which reminded him that this wasn't the simple cold he once thought. He refused to let dark thoughts creep in after all Snape said that he would help him.  
"Snape is always helping me isn't he." He thought.  
As if his thoughts summoned the man Snape appeared beside the foot of his bed. He jumped at the sudden presence, his heart nearly stopping from the fright. Clutching the shirt on his chest he willed his heart to settle down. One day he had to ask Snape how he could walk without making a sound. Besides Snape stood Dumbledore with a small smile that he was unsure if it was forced or not.  
"You sure know how to scare someone half to death sir."  
"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked.  
"Aside from my heart stopping just now I'm doing alright."  
"Poppycock!" Madam Pomfrey said joining his two visitors. "This boy always undermines the severity of his condition when he's with me. It's like pulling teeth for him to admit that he's in pain."  
Her words came from love and concern for his well-being, yet he felt somewhat ashamed. It was true that he was always a difficult patient. Rarely did he just lie back and did as he was told by the medi-witch.Possibly his defiance stemmed from his time with the Dursleys. Back on Privet Drive none of the injuries he got from Uncle Vernon’s beatings received official medical attention. Not even the time he had sworn his shoulder had popped out of his socket from the harsh yank on his arm after not finishing his chores to his Aunt's standards. Injuries he received were looked at as nothing more than a scratch that warranted nothing more than a band-aid if even that. According to Aunt Petunia hospital wasn't for freaks like him. Only through magic did he believe his body had survived the years of abuse without permanent damage. Having Madam Pomfrey care for his injuries fluttering about the infirmary running test after test was something he had yet to get used to, not that he wanted to get used to it. Regardless of how many times he found himself in this place without fail, he would get out as soon as possible.  
"I must discuss the results with you." Snape said to Madam Pomfrey.  
"I think we would all like to hear about these results." Professor McGonagall said as she set foot into the infirmary.  
It was tough to meet the eyes of his head of house with the knowledge that practically a day ago she had thought he had done something unthinkable to himself. The party that stood before him all thought that. Professor McGonagall offered a tired smile. The puffiness under her eyes told him that she had been crying recently. He took a moment to look at everyone's face, seeing the worry etched into each of their faces except Snape's. Snape held the same nonexpressive face that he always had. Since the day he had met Snape the man hadn't changed his face much. There was one time that he saw Snape's lips curl up into a small smile and clap somewhat vigorously at the Slytherin's victory in Quidditch. That was the one and only time he had seen Snape so animated, of course at the time he was frustrated so he didn't get to enjoy such a rare image. Right now the only thing that differentiated Snape's look was subtle changes, like the bags under his eyes that looked darker than yesterday. Only now did he notice that exhaustion colored the potion master's features. Insomnia was something he was well versed in. Harry supposed that Snape's position of potion professor, death eater, spy, and whatever else the man did, didn't offer the recommended nine hours of sleep. He truly envied those who could sleep the full nine hours or even more.  
"I’d rather discuss with Madam Pomfrey on how to proceed alone." Snape said.  
"I actually want to know." He spoke up.  
"Very well I will explain all that I can if you can answer this question. How did such a high quantity of mixed potions get into your system?"  
"I don't know." He said looking down at his hands.  
"Think hard Mr. Potter did you drink anything unusual recently? The results showed that the mixture was in your system since the previous night, ruling out that you were poisoned slowly over time."  
"I don't think I drank anything weird."  
"As hard as it might be you need to use your brain. Think of everything you consumed no matter how small."  
Searching through his memories he was drawing a blank. Digging deeper into his mind he thought of the one thing he had previously overlooked.  
"Dreamless Sleep Potion!"  
"There were faint traces of that in the mixture." Snape mumbled to himself. "Continue."  
"As you know sometimes I have nightmares of old Voldie so I use it when the dreams become too much. The night before was dreadful and the day hadn't been any better because of the nightmares. I thought I had run out of Dreamless Sleep and would've requested more later, but I found a vial of it in my robes. I don't remember putting one in my robes. I didn't really think about it at the time, though looking back on it the taste was slightly off. When the potion didn't work I thought maybe it expired or something. I figured that I caught a cold because of my insomnia so I didn't see Madam Pomfrey until I fainted on my way to the Headmaster's office, and you know the rest."

 

 

Severus pondered Potter's story. Last night he had wracked his mind with possibilities of how the golden boy had consumed enough of the poisonous mixture to create this much damage. He speculated someone slipping the mixture over time in Potter's pumpkin juice but that didn't match up with the test results. The results showed that the mixture was present at one specific moment as if the boy had sat consuming one potion after the other in a short time period. If Potter's recollection was correct it would fit the time period the mixture was administered. Severus knew very well of Potter's need of the dreamless sleep and he had previously planned to make more for Albus to give to the Gryffindor. There was no way that the potion Potter took would have come from his stock.  
"Do you still possess the vial you used?"  
"I think it's still in my bedside table drawer."  
"I would like to test its remaining contents."  
"You think the expired potion did this?" Potter asked knitting his forehead in confusion.  
"Potter potions don't simply expire."  
"Minerva would you be a dear and retrieve the vial from Mr. Potter's room?"Albus asked.  
"I will request the assistance of Mr. Weasley."  
Curiously he noticed Potter slightly relax as Minerva left. Those emerald eyes were looking at him again. He had noticed the once over earlier. This time he subtly returned the favor, taking in Potter's appearance, he did look better than yesterday. No longer was the boy's face swollen from crying as it had been last night and the color had improved drastically. Indeed Potter looked to be healthy, despite the physical appearance, however Severus could still feel the weakening magical energy.  
"Do you have any ideas Severus?" Albus asked.  
"The potion that Potter thought was Dreamless Sleep most likely was a highly concentrated mixture. I believe that someone might've slipped that poisonous mixture into your robes while you were unaware."  
"You think that a fellow student would intentionally do this?" Pomfrey asked.  
"It is very possible. We are at times of war. And before you start a witch hunt against the Slytherins there are students of other houses that don't hold allegiance to the light."  
Secretly Severus was very protective of his students. The Slytherin house was one that held the sole reputation of being composed of dark wizards. Anyone sorted into the house was deemed evil or soon to be corrupted. Over the years he did his best to deter his students from joining The Dark Lord because that was expected of them. It was difficult to sway students whose parents held allegiance with The Dark Lord without raising suspicion. Being a spy for both sides of the war didn't offer him the freedom to warn his students about The Dark Lord's false promises. He needed to guide his students away from being seduced by the power and riches that was believed to come along with joining the Death Eaters. In reality becoming a Death Eater didn't provide either of those things. He knew firsthand how manipulative The Dark Lord was and regardless of what was promised or how well you served him The Dark Lord would never uphold his end of the bargain. Being the head of house he worked tirelessly to prevent as many students as possible from joining the ranks. Unfortunately, he wasn't always successful. His stomach churned each time he saw one of his students take on the Dark Mark. Slytherins were not the only ones who were at risk of falling prey to false promises of glory and strength. A significantly smaller amount of students from the other Hogwarts houses had joined the ranks of Death Eaters. Those students were mostly outcasts of their specific houses. As an outsider, he understood the appeal of the dark lies. It only slightly shocked him the first time he saw students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw at the Death Eater meetings. Most of the attention at Hogwarts was focused on the house rivalries of Slytherin and Gryffindor. For those who weren't associated with Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy they merely existed in the background. When he noticed an influx of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students he had tried to meet with the heads of the houses. Because of Slytherin reputation other head of houses didn't actively prevent students from leaving the light side as he did. His concerns went unheard. Most adults first and foremost saw him as a Death Eater, a supporter of The Dark Lord, and not a Professor.  
"Do you have any idea who would do this to you?" Pomfrey asked Potter.  
"No." Potter said shaking his head. "A lot of people want me dead. If this had happened a few years ago I would've thought it was Draco's doing. I know now that he never wanted me dead."  
One of Severus's greatest accomplishments was stopping Draco from taking the Dark Mark. Draco was perhaps one of the most difficult student to prevent from falling into The Dark Lord's hands. Since birth Draco had been groomed to become a Death Eater. The boy's father, Lucius Malfoy was adamant about Draco upholding the promise he had made to The Dark Lord. How he had managed to free Draco of that commitment without acknowledging which side he held true alliance to or without getting tortured was nothing short of a miracle. Draco was his godson and that alone made the blond the only family he had. Going behind Lucius's back had been risky, yet he didn't feel anything remotely close to friendship with the man anymore. Lucius had hated the fact that he was far more irreplaceable to The Dark Lord because of his position close to Albus and his skills in potions. Securing the status of The Dark Lord's second-hand man was the moment that fully cemented the idea that the friendship he had made with Lucius during their years at Hogwarts was only a ploy to gain favor of the higher statused Death Eaters at the time. Regardless he never held Lucius's actions against Draco, even though it was difficult at times to do so. In the blonds' first two years at Hogwarts he had been a downright annoying prat. The rivalry between his godson and Potter had given him enough headaches to last him years. Over time, however, he noticed a change in their relationship much like the one he had with Potter, both of them became more cordial. He wondered how that change had happened but was thankful for it nevertheless.  
"Draco Malfoy has indeed not pledged allegiance to The Dark Lord. There would be no reason for him to kill you."  
"Yeah I don't think he would go that far to win the house cup." Potter laughed.  
"For now we should focus on how to help Mr. Potter." Pomfrey said.  
"I agree."  
In that moment the infirmary doors opened announcing Minerva's return. She moved faster than he had ever seen her move before. Without a word she nearly thrust the empty vial towards him. Glaring he took the vial and uncorked it. A sweet smell rose from the nearly empty bottle, from a whiff he could identify the mixture. Recorking the vial he placed it into his robe's inner pocket to test out his theory later, though he was certain this now empty vial was the culprit of Potter's condition.  
"You didn't recognize that the potion smelled off?"  
"No."  
Anyone as paranoid as he was would notice the scent was off. Dreamless Sleep didn't have the sweet aroma that was clearly intended to entice the person into drinking the mixture. Whoever had planted this had gone through lengths not only to make the mixture appear like Dreamless Sleep but make it appetizing.  
"Surely there is something you can do Severus." Minerva said.  
One thing about being the Potions Master for Hogwarts was that often things came down to him to solve. Severus wasn't a man with all the answers ,yet that's what theses staff members expected of him. The knowledge he held was a double edge sword.  
"I do have knowledge about this mixture and it's affects."  
“So you can make an antidote?” Minerva asked with hopeful eyes.  
“ If I had the ingredients I could.”  
“Brilliant!” Potter beamed.  
“Before you all start celebrating I am unable to brew an antidote.”  
“With your skills I am sure you will be successful my boy.” Albus said.  
“It is not my skills that pose the issue.”  
“What is it?” Pomfrey asked.  
“A crucial ingredient needed for the antidote is unavailable.”  
Severus watched as Harry’s face paled at the news. He knew that the poisonous mixture would slowly kill the young Gryffindor without the proper antidote. Even if he were to bastardize one without this specific ingredient there would be little chance of success.  
“Surely there’s something you can do Severus.” Albus spoke, eyes still holding their twinkle even in this dire situation.  
“Headmaster the necessary ingredient was eradicated some years ago. Not even with my connections could I retrieve it. They were known to only grow in one place and as I’ve said they have ceased to exist.”

 

 

Harry couldn’t take this conversation. Self-hatred was rising up as his mind berated him for falling for a simple trick. If he hadn’t drunk that potion then they wouldn’t have been in this mess. He could already see the headline of the DailyProfit The -Boy-Who-Lived death by stupidity, it was a thought that almost made him laugh. Truly he didn’t understand why Snape wasn’t laughing at his current predicament or telling him off. Usually Snape would claim his idiocy on being a Gryffindor and refuse to help. Harry was sure that the only reason Snape even did something ungit like was because of Dumbledore's insistence. Now he was doomed to die and there was nothing anyone could do about it.  
“If the ingredient doesn’t exist anymore...” He was thinking out loud, unwilling to give into the helplessness that was creeping up.  
“There was an abundance a few years ago, the only way to get it would be...”  
“Time turner!” He interrupted with his epiphany.  
“Don’t you dare interrupt me again Potter.” Snape warned.  
“Sorry Sir...But if we could go back in time then we could get the ingredient.”  
“Indeed, though it is not so easy to accomplish.”  
“If we use a time turner...”  
“And how do you suppose we acquire this time turner?” Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.  
“I...I know where to get one.”  
Harry wasn’t too sure if he was doing the right thing by exposing the secret time turner Hermione had. He looked between Snape’s curious brow and Dumbledore's’ twinkling eyes. He figured that the amount of trouble he would get into was nothing compared to the Wizarding World losing their savior. After the last time they had used the time turner it was agreed that they would keep it locked up in Hermione’s trunk until it could be safely placed in the Potter safe in Gringotts. They had yet to getting around to doing that with all the attacks on his life and whatnot. If he asked Hermione to borrow it just this once they stood a chance of saving his life.  
“Splendid.” Dumbledore smiled. “If you have access to a valuable item Professor Snape will be able to create the antidote.”

 

 

Once again Potter was getting away with defying both school rules and logic. As far as he knew all time turners were locked up within the Ministry. Leave it to Potter to get his hands on something that shouldn't have been in his possession. Severus didn't linger on that too long as it was a necessary item to save Potter's life. All the theories and texts wouldn't help the boy without that missing ingredient.  
"What do you suppose we do until they acquire the time turner?" Minerva asked Albus, who stood stroking his beard.  
"I am able to brew a temporary fix. It will be able to minimize the pain and could slow down the deterioration of your magical core."  
Emerald eyes once again were looking at him searching to see if he was telling the truth. The other members of the room too were wondering the same thing. He felt confident in creating a temporary fix, he had successfully done so a few years back. Within the tattered notebook there was a slim possibility of success and if he got his hands on the time turner that possibility would be more than a slim.  
"Thank you Professor."Potter said tearily eyed.  
"I will need some time to brew. I should be done after dinner. I suggest Pomfrey free the boy long enough to eat within the Great Hall with friends."  
"I do not need you to tell me what to do with my patients." Pomfrey huffed.  
"I agree with Severus's suggestion." Albus smiled.  
"But Albus!" Pomfrey protested.  
"Keeping Mr.Potter here will not do anything. I trust that he will return so I may administer the temporary fix." He asserted.

 

 

Harry couldn't believe that Snape was not only going to brew him something to make him feel better but was trying to grant him freedom from the infirmary. Vigorously he nodded at Snape's words. Getting out of here if only for dinner would be amazing.  
"We are in agreement then." Dumbledore chimed.  
"No we are not." Madam Pomfrey denied.  
"I understand your concern, but he will be out of your care for only a few hours." Dumbledore stated.  
"A lot can happen in a few hours."  
"I promise I won't do anything. Please Madam Pomfrey. You could do without me being here for a short time." He pleaded.  
"You truly think that he will be alright Severus..." Madam Pomfrey asked only to realize that Snape had disappeared. "Where did he go?"  
"Knowing him he went off to get straight to work." Dumbledore smiled.  
Definitely he had to ask Snape how he appeared and disappeared without a sound.  
"Ugg that man could at least announce his departure." Madam Pomfrey grumbled.  
"I completely agree." McGonagall nodded. "Would it ease your worries if I kept my eye on Mr. Potter."  
"Very well. I expect you back as soon as dinner ends."  
"Of course! Thank you!"  
"Go on then. Dinner will be starting in a few minutes." Dumbledore grinned.  
No one had to tell him twice. In a flash he hopped off the bed and dashed for the door. As soon as he made it past the doors he needed to slow down as his breathing hitched. This wasn't going to stop him now that he was free for the next few hours. Making his way to the Great Hall he ran into two familiar faces.  
"Ron! 'Mione!"  
"Harry!" His brunette friend launched into a hug.  
"Sprung out at last." Ron patted him on the back.  
"Actually I have to go back after dinner, but Snape managed to grant me few hours of freedom."  
"Snape?" The duo shrieked.  
Mentally he kicked himself for mentioning the potions professor. He wanted to keep what happened with Snape a secret now he had gone and messed things up.  
"Yeah...umm..I think he convinced Madam Pomfrey to let me go since he thinks I'm not that ill. You know him always going on about how I get special treatment."  
It was a little white lie.  
"I can't believe that git still gives you trouble. I can't stand it." Ron grumbled.  
"Perhaps next time you should give him a piece of your mind." He teased.  
"No way am I getting killed for mouthing off to him. Sorry mate."  
"You two know that Professor Snape isn't as bad as he seems." Hermione interjected.  
It was tempting to tell Hermione that she had no idea how un-gittish Snape could be. All those rumors about the man didn't come close to who Snape really was. Snape could be kind, could make him laugh.  
"Lets not waste the freedom I have. Come On I know you're starving Ron." He said, pushing thoughts of Snape aside.  
The Great Hall was slowly filling up with students. Already there were a few groups on each table chatting. Out of his peripheral vision he spotted the blond hair of Draco Malfoy. For years they had been rivals and on the Quidditch pitch they still were. The whole castle had gone mad the day they decided to bury the hatchet and started a friendship. He was so glad that day because deep down he knew it would hurt to see the blond on the opposite side of the battlefield. Regardless of the taunting they received from the Slytherin Ron and Hermione had accepted the idea of Draco being an ally. Things in the beginning had been more than rocky with Draco's taught prejudice slipping out at the worst possible moments. A good punch in the nose compliments of Hermione had finally broke the young man of the habit of saying certain words in the presence of Ron and Hermione. When his two best friends began snogging one another he was more than thankful to have Draco distract him with gossip. Apparently being one of the more feared students within the school granted the blond with endless information coming to his attention. Some days it was the typical gossips that ran around the school grounds, other times it was important information about which students were thinking about joining The Dark Lord. With his father being a known Death Eater Draco held swaying power with the students, even if he hadn't taken on the Dark Mark. That was another thing he had learned more about from his one-time rival. Draco had gone to great lengths to explain why people would willingly take on the Dark Mark.  
"You should at least say hello if you're gonna stare Potter." Draco remarked with a grin as he made his way towards him.  
"Who would want to stare at you Draco?" He said in mocked anger.  
"I have you know there are many people who admire my looks." Draco batted his eyes.  
"They should get their eyes checked."  
"That's rich coming from someone who still wears those awful glasses." Draco said reaching over to pluck said glasses off his face. "Really how do you see out of these Harry?"  
He liked how they had gotten into the habit of speaking to each other this way. Mocked insults fitted their previous interactions better than typical friendly chatter. As always he beamed at the blond trying on his glasses. Those large frames weren't as bad as they were in first year. His old glasses now were something that brought him joy whenever they were placed on his friend's face. The blurry features looked beyond ridiculous and it helped that the blond seemed to always forget just how blind he was.  
"Practice." He shrugged.  
"Take them back before I become as blind as you." Draco said sliding the glasses into Harry's hand.  
Replacing his glasses on his face the blurry world came back into focus. " Humm..Curious."  
"What is curious?"  
"You know Draco I think you look better when I don't have my glasses on."  
"Next Quidditch game you're dead." Draco playfully glared.  
"Why wait? Bring it on Malfoy." He smiled.  
"Next time. Your friends are waiting for you." Draco motioned to Ron and Hermione sitting with the rest of the Gryffindors. " Where have you been anyways? I didn't get to mock you at doubles potions today."  
"Infirmary."  
"Already? "  
"I'm trying to break my record for how many visits one student can have to the infirmary in a year." He joked.  
"You don't look that bad to me." Draco scoffed.  
Harry knew that Draco was worried about him even if his tone didn't say so. All of his friends were constantly worried about him.  
"Yeah I'm good. You don't look too bad either."  
"Unlike some people, I actually sleep and eat regularly."  
"I never thought to do that. You should become a healer.” He said in mocked awe.  
"Sod off Potter." Draco smiled.  
"Until next time." He winked.  
As the blond turned back to the Slytherin table he moved to his own house's table. Sliding into the seat beside Ron he was greeted by the smiling faces of his friends. More and more people filled the hall making it a tad bit uncomfortable. His time at the Dursleys had made him able to handle confined areas, still he was starting to feel entrapped. Staying calm he focused on the feast that had just appeared before them. Per usual Ron was the first to tear into the food, grabbing one of everything and placing it on his plate. Hermione started scolding Ron for stuffing his face when the sharp pain in his chest striked. Trying his best he bit back a whimper. Tears were forming in his eyes as another wave of pain rippled through him before he could recover from the first one. He had to be strong. He had promised Madam Pomfrey he would be okay. And Snape had believed that he could handle dinner with his friends. Out of habit his eyes moved straight to the Head table in search for the potions professor. Of course Snape wasn't there.  
"Snape is brewing a potion to make me feel better. I can handle this." He told himself.  
Taking a deep breath as possible he closed his eyes. He thought about last nights talk with Snape. Imagining that smooth voice of Snape was whispering how he should leave everything to him, his body began to relax. The pain was bearable again at the thought of Snape saying he would make it through this.  
"H..Harry?" A timid voice asked.  
Opening his eyes he saw Luna's boyfriend? Rolf Scamander staring worriedly at him. Luna sitting beside him tilted her head.  
"Are you alright Harry?" Rolf asked.  
"I am. I just got tired." He lied.  
"You know Harry you shouldn't sleep at the dinner table you never know what creatures might try to play tricks on you." Luna's lulling voice stated.  
He smiled at Luna's nonsense. It was nice to have her free spirit thinking around the Gryffindor table every once in awhile and Rolf was a good addition to the group. Lately his friends were pairing up, which made him a little lonely during dinings. If things weren't so shaky between Slytherins and Gryffindors he would invite Draco to join them.  
"You better eat!" Hermione scolded, finally turning her attention away from Ron.  
Reaching for a dinner roll he noticed Rolf pulling out a parchment and quill. Shrugging it off he bit into the warm bread.

 

 

It was hot and humid besides the brewing cauldron. The thin smoke that rose from below was as soothing as a stiff drink to the potions master. Stirring counter clockwise for the last time he extinguished the fire. Boiling reduced to a simmer as the heat was removed. Referencing his notebook he was pleased with the color and consistency. Brewing this potion again brought up memories that he worked to keep at bay. This potion wasn't strong enough to negate the effects of a damaged magical core it only made things more bearable. Years of research and sacrifices had gone into making this incomplete elixir.  
"This will have to do for now." He muttered to himself as he bottled up the potion.  
Moving to the office attached to his classroom he dug through his desk in search of his travel bag. Dust clung to the old bag that hadn't seen light in who knew how long. Traveling had been at the very end of his list of things to do in the last several years. With the resurgence of The Dark Lord the only traveling he did was to Death Eater meetings and recruit missions. When the war was finally over he thought he would travel again, travel some place so far away that no one knew him or the horrible things he had done. Reaching into the bag he pulled out outdated maps, a small binder filled with plant samples,and a carefully wrapped up portkey. He knew that the portkey was still operational,which would be the best way to travel considering how pressing the issue was. He was still a little wary of using a time-turner. They were notorious for wreaking havoc in the hands of misguided witches and wizards. If he had given a time turner when he was younger he would've been one of those misguided wizards. He had to do this now or risk the savior of the wizarding world dying. Severus hated that Potter was being cultivated to be the sole hope of the wizarding world to defeat The Dark Lord. The boy who lived title came along with situations like this,making it increasingly difficult for him to prevent the boy from certain death. This time however was different. This was more nerve racking than preventing the boy from falling off a hexed broom during his first Quidditch game. This was more difficult than protecting the boy from a werewolf. It was even riskier than fulfilling his role as a spy. None of the things he had to do for Potter had required him to relive painful memories in this way. Not even those horrid occlumency lessons weren't close to scraping the surface of what this current incident was bringing up.

 

  
Stuffing his face as much as possible Harry listened to the chatter of his friends. He noticed Hermione looking over at him several times. To counteract her glances he made a show of parading around the food in his hand before taking a bite. She was always nagging him about eating more sweets than what she considered real food so he stood clear of the sweets tonight. He needed Hermione to be in a good mood so that she wouldn't get too cross about him borrowing the time turner again. One thing that he couldn't get out of was the in depth integration from the brunette, but hopefully he could avoid a scolding.  
"'Mione." He whispered.  
"What is it Harry?"  
"I need a favor."  
"I already told you that I'm not doing your homework ever again." Hermione said pointing her fork at him as if it were her wand.  
"I can do homework on my own." He huffed.  
He almost missed it when Hermione helped him out with his homework. It was so helpful for her to explain every little thing in the first two years at Hogwarts. Things changed in third year though when she offered to let him copy one of their charms assignments. Excitedly he took the offer only to be more confused at what she had written then in the text. Harry suspected that she had done it on purpose and blew up in frustration. In return she had snatched the assignment out of his hands levitated his textbook over his head and let it drop on his head before storming out. With a lot of apologizing they had made up,but she held to her threat of never doing his homework again.  
"This isn't about homework I promise.I need to borrow something."  
"Mate what's so important that it can't wait until after I'm done eating?" Ron said bringing attention to the fact that Ron was physically caught in the middle of their conversation.  
"Sorry Ron. It's very important."  
"Out with it." Hermione said moving closer.  
"Ineedthetimeturner."  
"What was that?"  
"I need the time turner." He whispered slowly.  
Both Ron's and Hermione's eyes widened. The gears in Hermione's heads were practically visibly moving trying to piece together some reason why he would need the time turner. Ron, on the other hand, was looking a bit more excited, probably because last time it was only Hermione and himself that got to go on a time traveling adventure, which wasn't as great as it sounded.  
"We shouldn't be talking about this here." Hermione warned. " I require an explanation."  
Nodding they all rose up from the table. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Ron stuffing some food into his pockets. The others at their table didn't pay them any mind, they had grown so accustomed to the trio running off.  
"First no hello and now no goodbye? You have rubbish manners." Draco said as they passed by the Slytherin.  
"My apologies Sir Malfoy." He said sarcastically while pinching his robes in a mocked curtsey.  
"Glad to see you know your place."  
Sticking out his tongue he exited the Great Hall.  
"I will never understand why you two talk to each other like that." Hermione said.  
He shrugged. There weren't enough hours in the day to explain the strange friendship he and Draco had now. If he could he'd invite Draco to join in their discussion, but there would be too many questions and time was already so short. Right now he needed to convince Hermione to let him have the time turner without freaking her out with the truth. Later he hoped to fill in the blond so he wouldn't feel left out. Ducking into a nearby empty room was a better option than making it all the way to Gryffindor tower when he had to be back at the infirmary.  
"Out with it." Hermione said once she put up a silencing charm around them.  
"It's a long story."  
"Then give me the short version."  
Harry had no idea how he was supposed to come up with a short version of everything he had gone through in the last day and a half. The serious look in Hermione's eyes told him he better say something.  
"Okay short version is that Dumbledore needs it." He lied.  
"You're a terrible liar Harry." Ron pointed out.  
"I'm not lying. Dumbledore really does need it."  
"And he couldn't ask the Ministry for a time turner?" Hermione said.  
"Why go through that trouble when there's one here?" He retorted.  
"You better not be going on a fun adventure without me again mate." Ron spoke as he bit into a roll he had taken from the Great Hall.  
"Time traveling is not fun it is dangerous." Hermione snapped.  
" I know 'Mione. I swear I'm not going to use it to cause trouble."  
"You say that, but you never know."  
He was starting to feel ill again, the room was starting to spin, still he had to remain upright. Closing his eyes against vertigo he pretended to be thinking. Regretfully he opened his eyes. Both Ron and Hermione were looking at him worried again.  
"You don't look well at all mate."  
"We should bring you back to the infirmary." Hermione said moving to stop him from falling over.  
Silently he cursed himself for not being able to hide his illness. How could he explain that his magical core was damaged to them? Or worse that it was all a result of one stupid mistake.  
"No." He said pushing Hermione's hands off of him. "Not until..." It was getting hard to breathe again. "Not until you agree that I can borrow the time turner."  
It was a horrible thing to do, yet necessary. That time turner was all he had to offer against his latest mess up.  
"Harry!"  
"I am one hundred percent serious." He spoke with bravado. " I won't go back unless I hear you say I can borrow the time turner."  
"You're being ridiculous!"  
"Mate you are about to faint."  
"So what."  
It was growing increasingly hard to not sway. His friend's faces were starting to blur as his breath tightened in his chest. In just a few more seconds he would be on the ground unconscious and all this wouldn't have granted him what he needed. His mind drifted to Snape and how the man was going great lengths for him again. The least he could do was get the time turner.  
"Fine! You can borrow it." Hermione exclaimed.  
"Another Potter victory." He smiled.  
"Bloody Hell mate."  
"Hurry and help me get him to the infirmary." He heard Hermione call out as the surroundings began to dim.

 

 

Twenty minutes till the end of dinner Severus returned to the infirmary with the special potion in tote. He had arrived before Madam Pomfrey's return from the dining hall, though he assumed it would be only a moment until the medi-witch returned. This place felt even more disturbing without a soul occupying its space. Walking across the long room he stopped in front of the bed in the farthest corner. It was his bed. From the looks of it no one had been in it since his years attending Hogwarts. There was a good reason why this specific bed had gone unused. It wasn't as if he'd cursed the bed, simply it was one of the worst placements in the whole infirmary. It lived next to a wall that had the tiniest crack that let in the coldest air during the night and it was so isolated from the other beds that its occupant would be easily forgotten. He could still remember the one time after a nasty beating he had broken his leg and spent the night in the infirmary holding a pillow over his face to muffle his moans of pain all because the medi-witch had forgotten to give him a potion for the pain. Despite that incident he still insisted on that bed when he was forced to see the medi-witch. He preferred to be away from other injured or ill students because he didn't like seeing them like that and frankly everyone hated him. This rickety draft ridden bed was what he deserved. Potter's bed, in contrast, lived along the middle of the room. A perfect bed that was directly across from the medi-witch's office so its occupant could receive attention at the slightest sign of distress. It also was set up so that if necessary the two sides on either side could be moved to allow more room for privacy. It also had a decent distance to the bathroom attached to the infirmary. To Severus this perfectly visualized the distance between people like Potter and himself.  
He spun on his heels at the sound of the doors opening. If Pomfrey found him 'reminiscing' he wouldn't hear the end of it. Pomfrey wasn't the one who entered, even before he saw who it was he felt the magical energy of Harry Potter. A nearly unconscious Potter was being dragged by his fellow trouble making Gryffindor friends.  
"Professor Snape!" Ms. Granger just about shrieked when he approached them.  
"Give Potter to me." He instructed.  
The two worried filled Gryffindors looked at each other before pushing their slumped over friend towards him. Swooping up the Gryffindor was not an effortless motion with Potters limbs moving like wet noodles. Securing his grip he wandlessly cast a feather light spell and walked towards the famous Potter bed.  
"What happened?" He asked casting a nasty glare to show he demanded answers.  
"He fainted." The red haired one spoke up.  
"It does not take a medi-wizard to realize that Mr. Weasley."  
"Be nice Snape." Potter muttered eyes still closed.  
"Mr. Potter if you are conscious explain yourself."  
"Too...tired."  
Severus knew he had to administer the potion, but he knew it would look bad if he just shoved the vial into Potter's mouth with two witnesses around. Also he needed answers such as if Potter had eaten anything during dinner.  
"Ms. Granger what has brought Mr. Potter back in this state?"  
"He wasn't looking too well during dinner..."  
"Did he eat?" He interrupted.  
"Yes. He ate a lot more than usual after I nagged him. We were arguing a bit afterward and he started to look more ill, but he refused to come back here unless I agreed." Ms. Granger paused turning her attention to Potter. "He can be the most stubborn person on the Earth."  
"I got you to agree." Potter murmured.  
"Mr. Potter you should not gamble with your health." He warned.  
"Necessary."  
"Harry what you did was despicable, not necessary!"  
"Madam Pomfrey will be here momentarily so I suggest you two come back at a later time."

 

 

Harry didn't want Ron and Hermione to leave. Them leaving would mean Madam Pomfrey scolding him and waving her wand all around with the same tests they had done all day. He knew that once she saw him in this sorry state he'd never be able to leave this place again. His body felt so heavy yet he scooted up into a sitting position and turned to look at his friends.  
"I'll be fine."  
"We will see you tomorrow." Hermione said.  
"Bye mate." Ron said actively avoiding looking at Snape.  
Through barely open eyes he watched his friends exit. The second the door clicked shut Snape's hand was upon his forehead. It was so cold yet so comforting. His heart started to race as that hand was removed from his forehead and two fingers pressed to his neck. Snape's dark eyes were looking at him in a way that made him feel embarrassed.  
"You need to relax Potter." Snape said taking away his fingers from his neck. "Your heart is beating erratically for someone so still."  
"Sorry."  
"We must hurry before Pomfrey comes back if you wish to not be pestered for the rest of the night." Snape said pulling out a vial containing an unfamiliar purple mixture.  
"That's it?"  
"It is." Snape said uncorking the vial and handing it to him.  
"Does it taste bad?"  
"I made it especially disgusting for you." Snape smirked.  
Glancing at the vial in his hand he readied the mental list of all the horrid potions he had in this infirmary. This potion looked a lot better than most, but looks could be deceiving. In one motion he chugged down the potion hoping that the aftertaste wouldn't be as bad if he got it in his mouth as quickly as possible. He expected to taste something along the lines of rotting fish, instead it tasted more like a bitter tea with something he couldn't put his finger on. It wasn't terrible at all. Looking at Snape for answers the man stood indifferent. A warm feeling filled his body like a nice cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. The heaviness that had settled in his body was lifting little at a time. He felt good, perhaps better than he had felt in a long time.  
"Thank you."  
"Are you experiencing any pain?"  
"No."  
"Good." Snape said looking over something in a tattered notebook. "Now tell me, Potter, what was so important about your argument with Ms. Granger that you had risked your health?"  
"It was about the time turner. I managed to get her to let me have it."  
"So it was in Ms. Granger's possession."  
Harry felt guilty for unintentionally tossing Hermione under the bus. There was no way he could lie to Snape forever about the time turner. Eventually everything he did that was deemed as mischief would be known to the man, even without the mind reading ability.  
"So now you see that it was necessary. She wouldn't agree if I didn't threaten not to come back here."  
"I would think Ms. Granger would be working a way to address your condition." Snape spoke with a quizzical brow.  
"She would...that is if...if I told her."  
He felt awful for keeping his friends in the dark about his condition. They deserved to know. He just couldn't tell them. If he just kept taking Snape's potion he could make it through never telling them.  
"You should tell them." Snape muttered so softly that he wasn't sure if the man had even spoken.  
Something was in those dark eyes, whatever it was had shown up more now than it ever had before. Guilt would eventually eat at him for not telling his friends what was going on, still he couldn't. If he told them it would make this all feel too real. Too permanent. No he wouldn't tell them.  
"I will later." He lied.  
"Mr. Potter I never want to find you incapacitated due to your stupidity again understood." Snape commanded.  
"Understood." He gulped.  
Snape looked him in the eye, probably seeking for any sign of disobedience. The eye contact broke as Madam Pomfrey returned.  
"Ah good you're here Severus." She said almost pushing the potions professor aside to be near him.  
"I have already administered the potion."  
"How are you feeling now Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey asked. waving her wand around yet again.  
"A lot better! I could take on a dragon right now."  
Snape scoffed at his words. He didn't care. Snape could berate him for hours and he would simply smile because he knew there wasn't hostility between them now. Snape's words didn't hold the same cutting power as they had when he was a first year. In first year it took everything not to burst into tears at the potions master's strong words. Back then it felt like every little mistake he made was magnified in the potions professor's eyes. That slow drawl made the hairs at the back of his neck stand up way more than anything his Uncle or Aunt yelled. Eventually he had learned that there was no true threat in his professor's words. The name calling was nothing compared to being called a worthless filthy freak while getting beaten. As a professor Snape couldn't beat him or hex him, learning that had helped build a slight arrogant attitude. In Second year he had been a prat and for good reason. Draco had been rather nasty with taunts that year and after their duel, in which he spoke to the snake Bloody Lockhart couldn't dispose of. Majority of the student body had turned their back on him for being a Parselmouth. All that frustration had to come out somehow so what better place than against the snarky dungeon bat. Draco was always getting away with taunts and pranks during their potions class so when he was given detentions for retaliating he'd glare at Professor Snape when he wasn't looking. Hatred for both Snape and Draco changed not too long after Sirius's death.  
Both had refrained from nasty comments, threats, or detentions. Depression had covered most of that year in a blur. It had been so hard to lose his godfather. The next year he tried to aggravate Draco at any given opportunity just so he could feel something. One day he called the blond out to a duel at midnight. That night he had waited and waited yet the Slytherin didn't make an appearance. Ambushing Draco he dragged him into an abandoned classroom. He had needed a fight to get out all of his feelings. At the time it felt right to take it out on Draco, his father was Voldemort's greatest follower and it was His aunt who killed his godfather. Draco had refused to fight. "If you want to hurt me go ahead. It won't make you feel better for long though." Draco had said with a sad looking his eyes. "What would you know?" He had cried out, wand pointed with intent to harm his fellow student. "I worry about my godfather every day. I've seen what The Dark Lord is capable of... No one deserves what happened to Sirius Black...I'm sorry for your loss." Those words had been so sincere so genuine that instead of hexing Draco into next week he had broken down in tears he had long thought were dried up. Draco didn't laugh at him then, just stood beside him listening to his sobs rubbing his back. In that moment he didn't worry about Draco's actions being a ploy. That incident had changed their dynamic. They had become friends slowly, occasionally coming back to this place to talk about things that he didn't discuss with others.

 

 

"You do look much better Mr. Potter." Pomfrey said.  
Potter looked to be lost in thought with a teary look on his face. Severus knew it would be easy to peer into those thoughts, still he refrained from doing so. If this had been a few years ago he could read the Gryffindor without effort. In first year Potter's thoughts would sometimes be telegraphed to him and in second year thoughts of how much the young Gryffindor hated him practically were shouted at him. Potter was no longer an open book with his thoughts, however that didn't mean he couldn't read certain movements or expressions.  
"Severus you've done it!"  
"This is only a temporary relief." He stated. "I will return tomorrow morning to check up on the uptake. Alert me if there is any issues."  
"I will fire call you at the first sign of distress."  
With a nod he moved for the exit.  
"Severus." Pomfrey called out. "Please eat something."  
He bit back a comment about people suddenly caring for his eating habits. Instead he turned to Potter, who appeared to be coming out of his thoughts. If Pomfrey wasn't around he would once again tell the young wizard to inform his friends about his condition. As hard as it would be for the Gryffindor to give such terrible news he knew all too well of how devastating it was to learn about something so serious too late. Potter still had some time. If he told his friends now they could make fond memories of his last moments. Without the actual antidote he knew Potter could live until the end of this year or maybe a little more than that. He was unease for relying on the ludicrous idea of time traveling for an extinct plant to save Potter's life. Logic told him that Potter couldn't count on him finding the eradicated plant. With the temporary relief potion he could grant Potter a few months of normality. After that he would do his best to adjust it. The inevitable would happen without the antidote and when that time came he wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop it.  
"I expect you to behave yourself."  
"I will. Goodnight Professor Snape."  
"Good night Mr. Potter. Pomfrey." He said before departing.  
With robes billowing around him he made his way back to the dungeons. Potter had taken well to the potion so now he could proceed with brewing more. He was in for a long night of brewing. Thankfully tomorrow he didn't have to teach and he hadn't to deal with any detentions this Saturday. He needed to make as much of this potion as possible. Once Potter secured the time turner Albus would send him on his way to retrieve the missing antidotal ingredient. The sooner he left the better, though he wasn't sure if there was a way to come back. All he knew of time turners were the brief descriptions in old texts and rumors. Well they were more horror stories than anything. For now he didn't want to think about the ramifications of going back in time. Brewing. All he had to think about now was brewing.

 

 

 

Saturday morning greeted Harry with another sharp intake of air. The nice feelings of the potion had worn off. The pressure was returning to his chest as if someone were steadily stacking large books on top of him. With a huff he shifted his position on the bed bracing for the sharp pain that came with this pressure.  
"Mr. Potter how are we feeling today?" Madam Pomfrey asked.  
Soundlessly he groaned. There was no telling how much longer he could handle hearing that same question over and over again. And the tests that didn't appear to do anything but make Madame Pomfrey's mouth form a thin line. What was she expecting? What were any of them expecting? They were probably expecting TheBoyWhoLived to be invincible. That was something he wasn't even with his 'Potter luck'. If he were truly invincible he wouldn't be laying here thinking about what he was going to tell his friends. How could he lie to their faces each day as if nothing were wrong. He had thought he'd made up his mind about that, he wasn't going to tell them, but Snape's words looped in his mind all night. If that baritone voice wasn't so soothing to his ears it would've kept him up most of the night.  
"How am I going to tell them?" He whispered to the ceiling as Madam Pomfrey laid his breakfast tray down.  
She didn't leave after setting the food down like he thought she would. Madam Pomfrey stood beside his bed eyeing him. There was an uncomfortable smile on her face, the one you'd use when you didn't know what to say. Since all of this started it had been hard for them to talk to him. Dumbledore had no trouble giving him knowing looks, which pissed him off since he wanted to know what exactly the Headmaster knew. Other than those looks they hadn't spoken much. Professor McGonagall was the hardest to deal with. All through dinner he could feel her eyes on him. The sad look in her eyes dug into him as if he'd greatly disappointed her, which he knew wasn't the case. Disappointed wasn't what his head if house was feeling for him, no that feeling was his own. He was letting people down by not living up to the pedestal he was placed on since first year. Up til now he had gotten out of scrapes deemed impossible. Now he was reduced to this. Soon when his magic could no longer stand against Voldemort he'd be thrown away. What good was the chosen one if he couldn't complete the thing he was chosen to do?  
"How the mighty have fallen." He thought.  
"Mr. Potter this must be a very difficult time for you."  
He wanted to scoff. He didn't. Madam Pomfrey was only trying to help.  
"I'm here to listen if you desire to speak... I wish I could do more. I'm beside myself for not being able to do more."  
Her words reminded him of something important. Love. Here he was loved. Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, as well as others loved him since he started coming to Hogwarts. The people he had come to know here weren’t like the Dursleys. The Dursleys would toss him out if he couldn’t do simple things. The Dursleys had led him to believe everything was his fault. Living in that house taught him that he was nothing, something so replaceable that he worked so hard to remain useful. There was no love there. Privet Drive wasn’t his home.This school was his home. He felt ashamed of thinking they would toss him away now. Tears were welling up in his eyes.  
"Are you alright dear?"  
"I will be cured." He said fighting back the tears. "I won't give up."  
"Neither will I." Madam Pomfrey smiled fighting back her own tears.

 

  
Sunlight stung his tired eyes as he emerged from the dungeons. It had been at least two days now since he slept or ate anything more than the sandwich Albums forced him to eat. Those were trivial matters at the moment. This wouldn't be the first or last time he ran himself ragged. A Pepperup potion would do wonders if it weren't for his empty stomach. Food could wait until Potter received his potion and he instructed Pomfrey on what to be aware of after administering it. Only after making absolutely sure that Pomfrey understood his concoction and could comprehend his notes about combating possible side effects would he have an appetite. As for sleep that was simply something he didn't want to do.  
Both Potter and Pomfrey was in tears when he entered the infirmary. If it weren't for his years of practice of remaining aloof he would've run up to the two in a panic. Pomfrey spotted him before Potter did and she shook her head as if the action was supposed to tell him something. Gradually he approached the two not looking at Potter. He was far too exhausted to deal with those tear filled eyes.  
"I take it there were no issues last night." He addressed the medi-witch.  
All throughout the night he was brewing he paid utmost close attention to the fireplace in his office. Not a single call was made to him. That wasn't enough to quench his unwilling paranoia. At every given moment he could spare away from the brewing cauldron he would check on his fireplace.  
"No he slept soundly. He didn't even stir when I checked in on him." Pomfrey said, tears drying on her face.  
"Sir?" Potter's voice still held a tired tone.  
Being the stubborn man he was he didn't look at the Gryffindor. He had seen enough tears to last him a life time.  
"I will need to instruct you on Potter's care."  
"I am still at a loss of how you accomplished this." Pomfrey said.  
It wasn't as if the woman was doubting his skills, potions for damaged magical cores were just something that others hadn’t successfully created. Most information on damaged magical cores composed theories and studies on the last moments of the patient's life. Such information was limited. Of course he had his own studies, which he had achieved through less than desirable means years ago. For all the studying he had done it wasn't enough, still it was the closest thing anyone had come to creating a feasible antidote. Most Potions Masters had given up on it.  
"It is temporary." He reminded.  
"Thank Merlin we have you."  
Compliments given to him were few and far apart. Aside from the 'compliments' given by The Dark Lord he didn't know how to react. Compliments always sounded so fake to his ears. Anything directed at him that wasn't anger or fear seemed off. Giving a nod he pulled out the scroll of instructions from his inner pocket. Pomfrey took it and steadily began reading it.  
"Sir?" Potter spoke up again.  
This time he did turn to face him. Thankfully there were no more tears on Potter's face. Those emerald eyes still held a tint of red from the crying. Staring at those puffy eyes he wondered how many more times he would have to see that look.  
"Potter?"  
The Gryffindor's bottom lip was caught between teeth. Emerald eyes were raking over him again so he stood up taller. With his usual arched brow he watched Potter biting his lower lip. It was such a horrible habit of the boy. Noticing the mountain of food still untouched he wondered what was wrong.  
"I...This is..."Pomfrey spoke.  
"If there is something you do not comprehend we can go over it." He said pulling out the case of Potter's potion. "I have brewed enough to last a few weeks."  
"I will secure these away right now. Give me a chance to go over this a few more times." The medi-witched motioned to the scroll as she balanced the case in her arms. "Seriously Severus you never could write in plain English."  
"Then allow me to translate my notes into imbecile for you." He smirked as Pomfrey huffed.  
"Sir."  
They were alone again. It bothered him how many times they've been left alone together recently.  
"What is it?"  
"Here." Potter said holding out a small plate with a scone on it.  
The Hogwarts scones were one of his favorites. They've always been his favorite since his first year. He had practically gorged himself on them in his first week.  
"What is the meaning of this?"  
"You should eat."  
"You are the one who needs to eat before I can administer the potion." He said crossing hands.  
"I won't eat until you do."  
"I have eaten."  
"No you haven't!" Potter said with a weak glare.  
"And how would you know?"  
"I....I didn't see you at any meals."  
"Keeping an eye on me?"  
"It's not like that." Potter huffed with tinted cheeks.

 

 

"Why does Snape have to be so stubborn?" Harry thought.  
All he wanted to do was help out the man a little. Those bags under Snape's eyes worried him. Plus he hadn't seen him at meals for the past two days. True it wasn't the first time the potions professor was absent from the Great Hall, still it bothered him. If only he could make this stubborn person eat then he would feel at ease. Holding out the plate with conviction he tried again.  
"Eat."  
"Mr. Potter I do not take orders from you." Snape spat.  
"Please..." His words were caught off by a sharp pain.  
It felt like someone had just stabbed straight through his heart. Air caught in his throat, still he didn't drop the plate. His eyes tried to remain on Snape as another pain skewered his lungs.  
"Potter."  
"Please....Eat." He wheezed.  
Suddenly the plate in his hand felt lighter. Dropping his hand he leaned back to ride out the pain. He watched as Snape bit into the scone.  
"Good." He smiled.  
"Now you must do the same." Snape said suddenly pushing a piece of toast towards him.  
The pain was subsiding. Arms felt too heavy to reach for the bread. Tilting his head forward he bit into the toast. Chewing on the bite he caught Snape's eyes widen slightly. His whole face burned hot the moment he realized that he had just been hand fed by Snape. Snape! The Potions Professor that always acted like he was the most pestering person in all of Wizarding Britain. Snape had probably expected him to take the toast and he had bitten into it while it was still in those potion stained fingertips.  
"Sorry."  
"I thought I warned you to not gamble with your health." Snape drawled, returning the toast to the tray.  
"It's the quickest way to get what I want lately." He smiled.  
"Eat."  
"Join me."  
"I don't think you would stomach sharing a meal with me." Snape said while stepping back. "What would your friends say if they caught you dining with the Greasy Dungeon bat?"  
He was at lost for words. He never knew that Snape was aware of the nickname the students had given him. Before he couldn't say anything Snape moved toward Madam Pomfrey's office and the front doors opened. Quick steps distracted him long enough for Snape to slip away.  
"He could've stuck around." He mumbled to himself.  
"Morning mate." Ron greeted.  
"Morning you guys."  
"Here." Hermione said tossing a small bag at him. "Now spill.I want to know everything."  
"What no hello?"  
"Hello. Now tell me what's going on. I've been wracking my head with possible reasons for you to want that."  
"Let him eat first before tearing into him." Ron said snatching a muffin off his tray.  
"He can multitask."  
He loved Hermione's insistent nature when it wasn't directed at him. Picking up the toast that he had already he bit from he tried his best not to blush. No way could he explain what had just happened between him and Snape. Eating would provide him enough time to think of a better lie to tell his friends.  
"I told you that Dumbledore needed it."  
"For what purpose?"  
"He doesn't tell me everything 'mione."  
"He must've said something."  
"He didn't." He said taking a bite out of the fried eggs.  
"If I marched up to his office would he say he told you nothing?"  
"Go ahead." Hermione didn't know the password.  
"Harry!"Hermione said slapping him on his arm.  
"Hey I'm sick."  
"If you weren't you would get a punch. I haven't forgiven you for what you did yesterday."  
"I'm sorry."  
"We were worried sick mate. She even wanted to get Malfoy to talk some sense into you."  
"Where is the blond weasel anyway?" He asked, glancing at the door just in case Draco walked in.  
"Slytherin has Quidditch practice."  
"Oh." He said pushing around the oatmeal in his bowl.  
If he had to reveal all that was happening he wanted Draco to be there. Draco deserved to know too. For everything they were put through Draco had become a support system far different from Ron or Hermione. He still felt supported by his two old friends, but it was different with Draco. Probably because Draco knew the darker side of the war. They could share stories with each other without having to censor them so no one got upset. And if needed they could throw spells at one another to let off steam.  
"Harry." Hermione said taking his hand. "Please I need to know what is wrong. Don't keep us in the dark."  
Snape's words echoed in his mind saying that he should tell them.  
"Alright I will tell you. Not here though. Not yet." He whispered.  
"And why not?"  
"Snape is here." He lowered his voice as much as possible.  
"He is?" Ron asked looking over his shoulder.  
"In Madam Pomfrey's office."  
"You shouldn't scare me like that. I could've had a heart attack." Ron said, returning to stuffing his mouth.  
"One would think your eating habits would result in a heart attack Mr. Weasly." Snape said suddenly appearing.  
"I swear saying his name summons him." He mumbled to himself.  
"Mr. Potter." Snape spoke with authority. "Did you eat or has someone else consumed your much-needed meal?"  
A chuckle had to be contained.Ron's face was priceless pale and paused in mid chew not knowing what to do with the food in his mouth.  
"I did eat."  
"This will not end well if taken on an empty stomach." Snape warned as he pulled out the same purple colored potion from yesterday.  
"I understand." He said taking the potion.  
This time he didn't toss the potion into his mouth so quickly. He tipped the contents into his mouth as if it were a cup of pumpkin juice. The strange bitter tea flavor covered his tongue. He tried to pinpoint the other flavor with no luck. That warm feeling washed over him again. So comforting.  
"Thank you." He said handing back the empty vial.  
"I must return to Madam Pomfrey. If you sneak out I suggest getting back before lunch." Snape said.  
He watched as Snape slyly slipped the pre bitten scone into his hand before the flowing outer robes hid it.He pretended not to have noticed the subtle move. It was enough to just know that the man was going to have something in his stomach.  
"Did Professor Snape just told you to sneak out of the infirmary?" Hermione asked with a wide eyed look.  
"He's probably setting you up for detention." Ron commented.  
"Maybe." He shrugged.  
"Why is here anyway?" Ron whispered.  
"Obviously helping out Madam Pomfrey."He said.

 

 

Severus rolled his eyes again at Pomfrey's frustrated huffs. If it weren't for the scone he had snatched he would be even more peeved then he was. In his rush to get Potter his second dose he hadn't fully translated his notes. It wasn't his fault that others couldn't understand his thought process. Having to translate his work into simpler terms was a headache and a half, yet it did quench his paranoia.Never would he have to worry about other potions masters stealing his instructions and claiming his intellectual property. He hoped that Potter and his gang would leave while he distracted the medi-witch so the trio could talk. Once he was gone Pomfrey was sure to keep Potter on a short leash.  
"I think I understand it now Severus."  
"Are you sure or are you just saying that so I will leave?"  
"I have not spent years educating myself and going through rigorous training just so I could be humiliated by you. Honestly you write these instructions in such a convoluted way just to spite me."  
"I actually do it to spite everyone." He smirked.  
"Watch that tone young man." Pomfrey warned as she smacked him on the arm with the rolled up parchment.  
"Good morning." Albus said suddenly stepping through the fireplace in a green puff of smoke.  
"Goodmorning Headmaster." Pomfrey greeted.  
He nodded.  
"Oh my boy. I am glad you are here. How is Harry doing?"  
"He appears to be responding to the potion well. I recently gave him his dose and have been educating Pomfrey on its properties."  
"Excellent. Let's greet our brave Harry a goodmorning." Albus chimed as he made his way out of the office.  
The trio still remained in the same arrangement when he had left. The tray of food was gone.  
"Good morning all." Albus spoke.  
"Goodmorning Dulmborbore." The trio chime in unison.  
"It's a lovely day don't you think? Perhaps you two should enjoy it."  
"You're right. Come along Ron."Ms. Granger said dragging the Weasley boy along.  
"I'll see you later." Potter called out.  
Ms. Granger was always a smart student, able to pick up on the insinuated order from the Headmaster. From the lack of fuss he suspected that potter had yet to tell them what was going on.

 

  
“How are you feeling?” Dumbledore asked.  
“A lot better...Oh!” He said reaching for the small bag Hermione had tossed at him. “I got it. The time turner.” He smiled.  
“Wonderful!” Dumbledore said clasping a hand on his shoulder. “Severus are you prepared to go?”  
“I am. I have provided enough potions for my absence and have made arrangements just incase.” Snape said.  
“I don’t think those will be necessary.” Dumbledore said.  
“What do you mean?” He asked.  
“Time turners are very sensitive objects.” Dumbledore said.  
“We are unsure of the effects of traveling so far back in time. Whether I am able to come back.”  
Harry didn’t like the sound of that. What was he suppose to do if Snape was gone? Would he even know that Snape was gone?  
“You worry far too much at your young age Severus.”  
“I worry enough.” Snape said crossing his arms.  
“You can’t let him go! If he can’t come back...” He uttered.  
“He will make it back.” Dumbledore said with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.  
“How do you know?” He asked hoping that Dumbledore had an actual answer and not just relying on blind hope.  
“Some years ago I stumbled upon a spell that combines the ability of a time turner and a portkey. I believe I can grant Professor Snape three days in the past to complete the task and then bring him back to our time.”  
“I’m going!” He said sitting up straighter.  
“Out of the question!” Snape objected.  
“Please Sir let me go with you.”He said standing up from his bed in some sort of evidence that he was more than willing to go.  
“It’s dangerous. Your current condition will continue to make you weak until it consumes your magical core. Not even my skills can prevent that.”  
He stared into those dark eyes unwavering. He had to go.  
“I rather slowly die while getting this ingredient than waiting around helpless in the infirmary.”He put every ounce of his Gryffindor bravery into the statement. He couldn’t and wouldn’t wait for Snape to return. He couldn’t let Snape do this on his own.  
“It might be wiser to administer the antidote as soon as the ingredient is collected, there is no telling if time traveling would corrupt its properties.”  
“Thank you!”  
He felt so overjoyed that he hugged Professor Snape. The embrace lasted no more than a few seconds as the professor's body tensed up,making Harry realize just how uncomfortable the man was. “Sorry.” He said as he removed himself from the embrace.

 

 

Severus was not an affectionate man. He hadn’t received much affection in his life after his mother’s death. Anything more than a quick handshake was all he could stomach and that was all he ever expected from another person. Certainly a hug from the-boy-who-drives-him-insane was something he had never expected to receive. Potter was a bundle of emotion, as to be expected when given the news that you were dying, still a hug? Severus couldn’t remember the last time anyone had hugged him. He thanked Merlin that the hug had ended as quickly as it started. He also thanked Merlin that his years of perfecting his mask of aloofness prevented either Pomfrey or Albus to see how shocked he was by the action.  
He stared at the young Gryffindor who had the audacity to hug him. A tint of pink colored Potter’s cheeks. If it weren’t for Albus sudden cough he would’ve teased the young man about the reaction.  
“I think it’s a splendid idea that you two go on this trip.” Albus smiled.  
“You make it sound as if we are going on vacation.” He said trying not to roll his eyes.  
“It will be a good way to get to know each other.”  
There was that insufferable twinkle in the old coots eyes again. Severus wondered just how Albus saw the world from those half moon glasses. If he didn’t know any better he’d claim that those twinkling eyes were some sort of charm. Such things were possible considering the headmaster tended to do things like lace tea with Calming Draught. For once he didn’t want to be looked at in this way, to come face to face with a look that said the Headmaster knew all. In his opinion the old coot didn’t know anything, especially when it came to the so called ‘relationship’ he had with Potter. He only cared for the young man out of duty and guilt from things he long wished to forget. There was no getting to know each other when he was sure that the boy wonder hated him. It was understandable for the savior of the light to hate someone like him, most people in fact hated him. All the things he had done for the light would go unknownst with the exception of certain staff and Order members.  
“Get to know each other? This is a serious matter not a summer camp!” He snapped.  
“When can we go!” Potter beamed.  
Clearly no one understood the risk of this little adventure. Even if he chose to believe Albus had the right spell to bring them back to this time in one piece they didn’t know what to expect once they went back in time. All of this was starting to give him a headache.  
“It is dangerous.” He mumbled.  
“You’ve already said that.”  
“And I will continue to say it Mr. Potter until you get it through that thick skull of yours.”  
“I’ll go pack!” Potter said ready to make a break for it.  
“I have already done the honors.” Albus smiled.  
“Really?”  
He wanted to roll his eyes. Of course Albus who knows everything Dumbledore would already have Potter’s things together. When would these imbeciles realise that this wasn’t an average camping trip.  
“Would you like me to request a house-elf to fetch your things Severus?” Albus asked.  
“No I can fetch it myself.”  
“I shall open up your floo connection.” Albus said in a tone that it wasn’t a suggestion.  
Stepping into Pomfrey’s office Albus opened the floo and he stepped through into the his office. Albus followed with Potter. His office still was a mess with books piled up all over. Now that Potter was going to accompany him he needed to pack even more supplies.  
“Here you are Albus.” He said carefully handing the wrapped up portkey.  
“Do you need help Sir?” Potter asked him.  
“Do not touch anything except my books.” He ordered as he moved to pick out brewing equipment.  
He rather Potter not touch any of his things yet he didn’t like the idea of leaving his office in this state. Out of the corner he watched Potter pick up some books and place them back on the shelves. Albus stood out of both their ways waving a wand along the time turner and portkey in his hand.  
“What does this missing ingredient look like?” Potter asked while lifting a small pile of books.  
“It looks like this.” He said picking up the only book that held a sketch of the plant.  
“Funny looking isn’t it?” Potter said taking the book. “Should we bring this book?”  
“There is no need to bring it I have sketched it in my notes.” He said holding out his tattered note book to the page with his sketch.  
“Wow! It’s like an exact copy.”  
“It should be. I spent a great deal of time on it.”He said returning the notebook to his pocket.  
“So we need to go back in time a few years and get this plant thing?”  
“I’m afraid it’s far more complicated than that.”  
“How complicated?”  
“This specific plant thing as you call it only grew in one location,which is not in this vicinity.”  
“So where do we have to go?”  
“Somewhere more tropical.”  
“I have finished and taken the liberties of getting your things.” Albus said handing a full bag to Potter.  
“How does this work exactly?” He asked slinging his own magicked bag over his shoulder before taking a stance besides Potter.  
“You have to take each other's hands. Harry you take the time turner. Severus the portkey.”  
They complied with the instructions. Holding hands with Potter was a necessity and nothing more. He eyed as the timeturner now hunged on Potter’s neck.  
“Good with your free hand Harry turn the time turner and at the same time Severus remove the wrapping from the portkey.” Albus said placing the wrapped portkey in his hand. “The spell will work as soon as these two motions occur. You should be able to last three days over there. After that time the you will need to join hands again with these items close by so I suggest you keep them on your person at all times while there. Good luck.”  
This was it.  
“Ready Potter?”  
“Ready.”  
On the count of three they followed Albus’s instructions. Suddenly their surroundings blurred and they were being pulled to somewhere else. All too quickly they stumbled into a new place. Heat hit him first. He had forgotten how hot it was here,especially when he was dressed in black. Potter leaned into him looking like he was going to puke.  
“I’m alright.” Potter said swaying. “Where...where are we?” Potter said shading his eyes from the bright sun.  
“Welcome Mr. Potter to The Garden Island.”


	2. Part 2

Harry looked at the tall mountain ahead of them. He'd only seen such lush green mountains in books before. He hadn't been anywhere outside of his home country. This place was definitely something out of vacation pamphlets he once saw on the Dursleys coffee table. Two tall trees marked the starting path to the mountain. The only thing that was ruining this beauty was the heat he was unacustomed to. He felt so sticky and sweaty in his Hogwarts robes. This uniform was far too much layers for this place. Stripping himself of his robe, vest, and tie made the heat more bearable. Reaching into his bag he pulled out a tanktop and a pair of shorts. Looking around he noticed that there wasn't anyone around so he ducked behind a nearby large rock to change.  
"Potter what are you doing?" Snape asked.  
"Changing." He said buttoning his shorts before stepping out from the rock.  
Shoving the remaining articles of clothing into his bag he was relieved to find his wand was packed. He wouldn't have known what to do with himself if he had left his wand at Hogwarts in the future. Looking at Snape he felt a new wave of sweat cover him. Those black teaching robes had to be killing the man in this direct heat.  
"Aren't you going to change?" He asked.  
With a flick of his wand, Snape's teaching robes turned into a black long sleeve and black pants. Regular clothes looked good on the man. He still felt so hot looking at the man. Why couldn't the man wear something other than black?  
"Aren't you hot in all that black? wouldn't you prefer short sleeves or none?"  
"I did not bring you here to discuss my lack of fashion." Snape said pulling out a tube of sunscreen.  
He mimicked the motion and covered up. He hadn't worn sunscreen before. The only times the Dursleys had let him go out in the sun was to mow the lawn and pull weeds and he had to complete all the yard work without the protective lotion or water to drink. There was one time when he was about eight were he had stayed out too long and his face had burned, making his cheeks ache each time his glasses pressed against the burnt skin.  
"Don't dawdle Potter. We only have three days here and I'm sure this day is nearly up. We need to cover much ground."  
Settling the bag on his back he followed Snape's approach to the path's entrance.  
As they climbed higher he could feel his heart pounding in his ears. Each gasp of air made the sound grow in volume. Harry wondered how Snape could move so quickly through the path of rock and tree limbs. For someone who spent so much time in the dungeons Snape could easily navigate this unfamiliar territory.  
"Have...you.. been here before?" He asked, trying to catch his breath.  
"Once. I came here during my mastery in potions." Snape said effortlessly climbing over a medium sized rock protruding out of the ground. "That was years ago. Or in this case years from now."  
"Do all potions master come here?"  
He had to keep talking. Talking was helping to distract him from how tired his body was feeling. Plus he wanted to know more about Snape. Snape wasn't the sharing type so this seemed like a very rare moment.  
"No. I came here to study the plant that we are in search of now. Of course by then there was none of it left."  
"So you have an idea of where to find it?"  
"I do."  
That news made him happy. With not being used to this heat he didn't want to waste time lost in the mountains.  
"I have few questions."  
"Of course you do."  
"Since we're in the past aren't we worrying about people seeing us or you know..."  
"If you're concerned about running into our past selves that is impossible considering neither of us were here during this time. And the locals don't come up to this mountain anymore. If in the unlikely chance we do come across someone do not engage and do not reveal that we are not from this time."  
"Okay."

  
“Mr. Scamander could you tell me why we are here again?” Percival asked as they made their way over a large rock.  
He didn’t know why he had insisted on coming along with Newt Scamander on this spontaneous expedition. He was a city man through and through. Nature wasn’t much of a calling to him so he couldn’t figure out why he had agreed to this lengthy hike in the mountains. Perhaps the reason was that they were currently in Hawaii, Kauai to be exact, a tropical paradise according to anyone who spoke of the place. He had thought it would be a nice place to unwind and relax. As usual his plans were going awry. Moments ago they had been enjoying a trip to the beach. The warm sand and cool water under a sunny sky wasn’t something he could get back in the city. They had slathered themselves with sunscreen, neither of them did too well in this bright sun, and spent some time wading in the water. Newt had tried to get him to swim,but that was yet another lesson he hadn’t needed in the city. This island was so beautiful. He was thoroughly enjoying himself. The only mistake he made was taking his eyes off Newt. He looked away from Newt for one second and in that time his companion had gotten into deep conversation with some locals. By the time he walked over to apologize for Newt’s rambling the magizoologist was vibrating with excitement.  
“They said it lives somewhere over here!” Newt beamed.  
Rumors. They were on this mountain all because of some rumors that there was a mythical creature living on top of this mountain. As soon as Newt heard the rumor he was determined to track down the creature. Knowing that Newt would go with or without him he tagged along. Now he was slightly regretting it. This wasn’t like tracking down creatures in the city. He was far out of his element, but Newt fit right in despite this being his first visit to the island.

Newt was beyond excited about the rumors. Who knew what kind of mythical creatures he was going to find on this island. Percival wasn’t too happy about this hike disrupting their time at the beach, he could tell by the way he called him Mr. Scamander. It had been a while since they addressed each other by their last names. Only when Percival was displeased did the American wizard revert to addressing him so formally.  
“I’m sure it’s close by.”He said wiping off a bead of sweat.  
In reality he had no idea of where he was going. This mountain was new terrain to him,but there was paths that showed at one time people hiked up here. The closest thing they had to a map was a crude drawing and descriptions of key points on the mountain. They’ve successfully passed two of the markers on the crude map.  
“Come on.” He said reaching his hand out to help pull Percival up over the last large rock.  
“We should’ve brought proper hiking supplies.”  
"No time." He grunted as he lifted Percival.  
"There would be time if you just waited until tomorrow to do this."  
Percival was right they should've been more prepared. He had left his case back at the hotel after a very lengthy explanation why carrying around a magical case at the beach was not a good idea. If he was more patient he would have everything he needed with him. When it came to mythical creatures his patience was overrun by pure excitement.  
"Thank Merlin we're wizards." He smiled to the sky.  
He loved Kauai. It was only their second day and he was completely head over heels for the place. If it weren't for the jet lag knocking him and Percival out on their first day he would've fallen in love with this place sooner. He was so hesitant agreeing to come to this place. He had just gotten use to the city only to be asked to join Percival on this trip. He expected business, to his surprise it had been a relaxing get away for the two of them. It was so much relief to know he didn't have to interact with people in stuffy suits. There were no stuffy suits here at all. He missed nature so much more than he thought, and he thought he missed it plenty.  
"It is beautiful." Percival said spelling water into transfigured cups.  
"Thank you for doing this." He said taking a sip of water.  
"Of course." Percival said taking his hand.  
They were now high enough that the wind swept around them, cooling off the sweat they had worked up. The air was so fresh. And there current view was one that you couldn't put a price on. Words failed to explain how he felt at this moment. They stood overlooking vast greenery dotted with a few houses no bigger than two stories and a never ending sea meeting the blue sky. Nothing could compare to this.

  
Severus was moving as fast as he could. Recalling on old memories he followed the winding path. He only slowed when he felt the slight change in the energy around Potter. They had to keep moving but he knew this was draining even for a healthy individual. If memory served correct there would be a decent spot to stop and rest just a little up ahead. Offering a hand to Potter he pulled up the younger over a rather large rock.  
"We can rest soon."  
"I can keep going."  
It was clear as day that Potter was forcing himself. Thinking that the heat was causing the young wizard harm he casted a spell to keep him cool. A little more and then he could properly care for Potter's symptoms.

  
Newt could feel someone approaching. There was no doubt that they were not the only ones on this mountain now. He stilled his movements listening and scanning his surroundings. A tinge of dark magic made him jump into action. Whoever this dark wizard was was aware of them so they had to fight. Quickly he apparated from place to place zigzagging his movements. As a magizoologist he had used such a technique a few times against a magical creature,but never a wizard. A spell nearly hit him as he got closer to the wizard. His opponent was well trained countering a spell he flung. In one swoop movement he was face to face with the stranger wand pointed at his neck. Lowering his head he watched the other man through his bangs. The man before him wore all black despite the heat. Eyes as dark as a starless night were unblinking. What threw him off was the dark magic he felt coming off the man. With other dark wizards such dark energy would radiate off them feeling all consuming. However the darkness felt as if it just there as if it were placed on the man.

  
Severus didn't know what to make of this man whose throat was at the end of his wand. He had lept into action the moment he had sensed the other. In the back of his mind he had thought it was a Death Eater,which was impossible considering the time period they were in. Death Eater or not he had bested this stranger. No malice could be felt from the man,in fact he was acting rather docile.  
"What is your business here?" The man spoke in a soft calm tone.  
"I should be asking the same if you?" He said sternly.  
Despite this man's demeanor he wouldn't let his guard down. This wizard was powerful and intelligent if their quick fight had anything to go by.

Percival pulled out his wand the Second that he saw Newt in close proximity to another man. Jealousy roared up before he realized that it wasn't idle chatter the two were engaged in. As he went to disarm the man in black he saw Newt raise his hand to stop him.  
"I was wondering when you would make an appearance. "The man drawled in a tone that made him internally shiver.  
He had faced a few dark wizards but this man was different. It also unnerved him that the man ,who was clearly from Britain and had a strong set of skills, looked to be ready to strike. Percival contemplated how to approach this situation when there was a possibility that this man was one of Grindelwald's followers. Surveying the scene he noticed another younger wizard who was looking ill. Perhaps this would give them the upperhand.  
"Your companion appears to be ill." He stared in a matter of fact tone.  
"I assure you he can hold his own."

Harry felt as if his body weighed a ton. With all the hiking they had done the last thing he wanted was to be caught in a standoff with two unknown wizards. The one under Snape's wand looked timid ,if he hadn't witnessed the two fighting earlier he would've assumed Snape had attacked the poor man without provocation. The other man stood tall as if he had anticipated this happening. It was strange to hear the American accent stating his current condition. Mustering some if that Gryffindor bravery he stood up while retrieving his wand. The comment from Snape helped him stand straighter despite the vertigo he got from standing up so quickly.  
If he had to fight the American he needed to gather all his strength. No way was he going to stand back and let Snape fight the two wizards alone. The American seemed not to pay much attention to him, keeping an eye on Snape. Harry wouldn't let the man to underestimate him. With a flick of his wrist he disarmed the American giving a big smile to the man's apparent shock.  
"You shouldn't push yourself." The timid British wizard said in a tone that conveyed honest care for his wellbeing.

Newt couldn't help feel concern for the younger wizard. All the bravado in the world couldn't hide the fact that this young man was slowly dying. Even the quick glances from the man in black towards the young man didn't go unnoticed. For whatever reason these two were here this fight wasn't going to do either party good. Time was of the essence for the young man.Percival and himself too were on a time constraint to find the elusive creature that was disturbing the natives. Soon the sun was going to set and if this continued any longer neither of them would have suffice time to make it down the mountain or set up camp. Newt knew he had to defuse this situation,especially now that Percival was on edge. Slowly he raised his hands evoking the man in black to press his wand more firmly into his neck.  
"Do not move." The man warned.  
"Sir I mean you no harm."  
" I suppose you greet everyone by attacking them?"  
The man had a point. He had acted without much thought.  
"I was startled... We were told no one came up this mountain."  
"Then why are you here?"  
Newt had no issues telling this man their reason for being here. If it came down to it he would prevent the creature from falling into the man's hands.  
"We are in search for a creature that has been disturbing the locals. I'm a magizoologist and Mr. Graves over there is assisting me in finding the creature so we may rehabilitate it. You see a creature won't act out unless provoked or injured. " It was hard to not rattle off about all the knowledge he had acquired for this specific trip. Magical creatures were a topic that he could spend the better of his days going into great length about.

What this man was saying held merit. Severus hadn't had the pleasure of meeting someone who claimed to be a magizoologist. Such position was more or less looked down on with in the Wizarding world,though he viewed it to be a noble profession that helped many to know how to deal with wild creatures. If it weren't for magizoologist he was sure more than a few students would be injured for interacting with mythical creatures that lived in the Forbidden Forest or were brought to Hagrid's class. By the looks of it this man was truly obsessed with his work. The smallest movements from the man screamed animalistic. Even now the man was acting like a wolf showing his belly to convey submission. He was sure that if it weren't for the wand against his neck the man would willingly lie on his back to show he wasn't a threat. That thought made him smirk.

Percival didn't like the smirk that graced the older wizard's face. With a one wandless spell he could be victorious against the brat that had disarmed him. The issue to that choice of action was the older wizard who still hadn't released Newt. It took only a second for the older wizard to mutter the killing curse. Besides he didn't think he could morally attack the ill. Beneath all that cockiness was a very sick young man. He hoped that the older wizard wouldn't kill Newt if he went on and on about magical creatures.

Harry was having difficulty remaining upright. He needed to sit down, yet he refused to stand down when things were still tense between the four of them. The feeling of all eyes on him wasn't helping. Something caught his attention it sounded like the snapping of twigs. All four of them exchanged glances. Harry didn't think he could handle it if there were other wizards to fend off.  
"Is it just you two here?" He heard Snape snarl at the wizard in his grasp.  
"Yes Sir. "  
The snapping of twigs were getting louder. Whatever it was approaching was not human.

A creature was making its way towards them. From the vantage point Percival stood he could see nearby trees swaying. Each one of them had reason to be fearful Newt however would more likely be elated by this development.  
"I suggest we end this fight. " He called out.  
"Agreed." Spoke the man in black.  
In a fluid motion, the older wizard released Newt moving towards his ill companion while he simultaneously regained his wand and secured Newt. No time was spent arguing as the creature was quickly approaching them. A loud wailing noise rumbled the ground beneath their feet. Newts eyes grew in excitement as he moved towards the sound.  
"We need to leave." He said grabbing onto Newt's arm.  
"But the creature..."  
"Is clearly aggravated." The older wizard spat.

There was no time to lose and yet the imbecilic magizoologist seemed to want to stay. Severus wouldn't take the risk to greet the angered creature. Giving his two cents on the matter he swooped up Harry into his arms after casting a feather light charm.Giving a look that told Potter not to protest he gripped the young Gryffindor and ran. Another roar shook the surroundings.  
"If you don't start running faster I'm going to carry you too!" He heard the American yell.  
"But running away might make us lose the creature." The magizoologist protested.

  
"We can find it later when it's not out to get us."  
No Matter how much Newt protested Percival wasn't loosening his grip as they ran. He loved the soft spoken man dearly,but when it came to magical creatures Newt tended to throw caution to the wind. Percival was impressed at the speed in which the older wizard ahead of them was navigating the twisted path. Having Newt in hand eagerly wanting to stay made it all that more difficult to prevent them from tripping on an root.  
"Do you even know where you're going?"He called out to the older man.  
"No." The man shouted.

Harry's heart sank at Snape's admission. For as long as he knew the man Snape seemed to know everything, especially things that others didn't. Once the man had started off in a run with him in arm Harry figured Snape had some innate idea of where to go. Tightening his grip he peered over Snape's shoulder. Seeing what was chasing them. It was perhaps one of the worst ideas he ever had. Out if the trees a large scaled creature with razor sharp teeth was right on their heels. It reminded him of the Basilisk in second year. Its large reptilian feet sounded like thunder and it connected with the ground below. If the creature was a snake he could've tried talking to it. A long tongue shot out trying to catch the other wizards behind them. Although he didn't know these two he couldn’t let the creature eat them. Shifting in Snape's arms he retrieved his wand."Potter what are you doing?"  
"Just keep running."He said steadying his arm on Snape's shoulder.  
The tough shot out again and wrapped around the America's leg.

Horrified Newt watched as Percival fell to the ground moments after he had released his grasp. In a second he took in the sight of the large reptilian creature pulling in Percival to consume him. He didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t a creature he had experience dealing with. Now wasn't the time to be lost in thought. Before he could react a spell flew towards the creature slicing it's tongue. He had to look away as he helped Percival back to his feet. Regardless of the creature trying to harm them he couldn't handle seeing a creature injured. The growl from the creature sounded so pain ridden it caused tears to form in his eyes. He couldn't look. Wouldn't look back as they set off running again. This time the creature wasn't following them,he had to get some distance away. Holding his head low so no one could see he wept.

Thanks to Potter's quick thinking of using the slicing spell the creature was no longer chasing them. They weren't safe until there was enough distance between them and the thing that wanted them dead. Getting chased and eaten alive by unknown monsters was not what he signed up for. He brought his pace to a quick stride when he felt comfortable with the distance. Potter's color was not looking good and the motion of running wouldn't do anything to help the Gryffindor. His feet stopped completely at the sharp intake of air from the young man in his arms. Looking down he realized that Potter was in sever pain. They would have to make due with camping here.  
"Wait a moment Potter." He said in a soft tone.  
As gently as he could he kneeled down and rested the-boy-who-was-so-reckless against a medium sized rock protruding out if the ground.

Sweat was collecting on his brow despite the cooling spell Snape had given him earlier. A sharp pain had hit him. It reminded him of the time Dudley had kicked him in the stomach while wearing cleats. It was getting so hard to breathe ,even so he refused to complain. Strong arms moved to set him down and he wanted nothing more than to return to those arms. Being safely held made it easier to bear the pain and fatigue. The firm rock he was leaned against was nothing compared to Snape's embrace. Tired, he was so tired. If he could he would fall asleep. Through heavy eyes he watched as Snape moved about pulling out items from a small bag. For someone who didn't know of magic this scene would be mind blowing.

Percival decided it was for the best to team up with the odd duo. Considering that the young man had saved his life there had to be good reason for the two to be on this mountain. Holding back a comment about the place they had chose to stop not being the most acceptable spot he pulled out his wand. Meticulously he set up wards around their impromptu campsite. As he went about securing the wards he met the glance of the older wizard,who nodded acknowledging their team up. Exhaustion was setting in once he had the wards up to his standard. His work wasn't done, there still was a certain magizoologist who needed to be comforted.

Newt sat out of the way of the rest of the group. The sound of the pain filled growl wouldn't get out of his head. All his life people had told him he was too sensitive when it came to mythical creatures. Right now he wanted to hide away in his suitcase,if only he hadn't been persuaded by Percival to leave it at their hotel. Above he watched a bird glide onto a nearby branch. It's vibrant colors began to calm him. Nature was one of the things that put him at ease. Such beauty was much preferred over the bustling city.  
"Mind if I join you?" Percival asked,placing a hand on his shoulder.  
Wiping tears away he gave a small nod. He felt Percival sit right next to him.  
"Are you alright? "  
"I should be asking you that." He whispered.  
"Newt."  
He dropped his head further down waiting for the scolding that he knew was coming.  
"Newt."  
"I'm sorry. I couldn’t do anything...I'm so useless...I just couldn't..."He said though the tears.  
"Newt." Percival cupped his face,bring him face to face.  
He still avoided eye contact. Guilt was eating at him for both not being able to save this man and for letting the creature get hurt. In addition he knew he was only trouble for this man. No matter what he did he couldn’t do half of what Percival did for him. He cared for Percival so much that he wanted to be as strong ,as thoughtful, as kind as he was. Even now Percival hadn't thought twice about putting up a protective barrier for not only them but for the strangers. Percival had nearly been eaten by the large reptilian creature and yet here he was comforting him,a man too sensitive for his own good.  
"I'm being silly I know."  
"Not another word. You are not useless. And you are not being silly. You are the most caring person I have ever met. You do so much that you are barely aware of. The world would be better with more people like you in it."  
"But.."  
"But nothing." A gentle touch removed the fallen tears from his cheeks. "Your love for every living thing is one of the many things that I love about you."  
Percival's smile was so sincere it melted his heart. The man was one of the few people in his life that didn't mind his quirks. It was easy for people to write him off as an eccentric or ignore him. There wasn't too many people in the world who saw things the same way he did. Percival was perhaps a spitting image of someone who would dismiss him: a city man, a high official.Despite Percival’s vendetta against illegal breeders Newt thought the man only saw mythical creature’s safety a part of his job. Over the years he had spent with the man his views had drastically changed. Percival wasn't much of a nature person or knew much about mythical creatures ,yet he hadn't dismissed Newt. On the contrary he had spent many hours asking questions more than willing to learn about his profession as a magizoologist. And Percival treated him like his own person, never comparing him to his brother the war hero.  
This man meant so much to him; from the gentle touches to the way he stood up for his nonsensical adventures when others dismissed them. Percival was always by his side.  
He leaned into Percival's touch when a hand moved through his hair. How comfortable this was despite the circumstances was not lost to him. When a hand lifted his face he didn't resist. A pair of lips ghosted over his. The motion was so faint that Newt wasn't sure if it really was a kiss. This wasn’t the first time Percival had done this and yet it always felt like it was their very first.  
"Forgive me."  
" One more?" He whispered nearly inaudible.  
"What was that?"  
"I.. I..." Newt couldn't find the words as his mind scrambled with the realization of what he wanted. " K..kiss."  
"All you needed to do was ask."  
Newt closed his eyes as Percival leaned in forward. Those lips were back on his with more pressure than before. The kiss remained chaise. One of the many things he loved about Percival was that the man never pushed him into something he wasn’t ready for.

  
Severus was moving in flurry emptying the contents if his bag. He was more than grateful for the American establishing a protective ward. For now he had to focus on stabilizing Potter. Moving as quickly as humanly possible he created a fire pit and set a cauldron over it. Transfiguring a stump into a comfortable chair he moved to retrieve the ill Gryffindor. Potter was fading much too fast for his linking. When he moved to lift him his arms were met with dead weight. Forgoing casting a spell he moved to set Potter on the transfigured chair. Those emerald eyes were barely open,eyebrows knitted together in pain.  
They needed to find the plant as soon as possible. With the boy’s magical core growing weaker he wasn’t sure how long his potions would help to soothe the pain.  
"Open." He said placing a vial to Potter's lips.  
Tilting potter's head back just slightly he poured the liquid into his mouth. A large gasp for air from the young wizard made him step back. Coughing erratically Potter slumped forward. Severus gently rubbed his back hoping the action would soothe the coughing fit. Once the coughing ceased he removed himself from potter's side. A small smile told him that the young wizard was feeling better.  
"Thank you."  
"Don't move around too much." He said before handing over a cup of water.  
"Okay."  
"I need to see to things. Call if you need something."

Harry couldn't fully look Snape in the face when he was handed the cup of water. The potion had soothed the pain enough that he felt a weight lifted off his chest. The coughing fit hadn't occurred because of the liquid rather it was what he saw as the vial was emptied into his throat. Out of his peripheral vision he watched the two strangers kiss. It was too much of a shock for him to handle. Harry hadn't seen two men kiss before. At the Dursleys they restricted any images of intimacy. Anything Aunt Petunia demeaned as indecent was censored. Aunt Petunia claimed that she had to keep her son from being tainted when she pulled them out of lessons on sexual education. There was one time that Dudley had told his mother that he saw two men holding hands and she went off for hours on how it was unnatural for two men to be like that. Above all the things that his Aunt did the image of her yelling until blue in the face about same sex couples being disgusting really stuck with him. Those words Haunted him even more when he realized that he was gay. The realization had made he feel even more like a freak. Not even his best friends knew,well maybe Hermione had an idea,still he never spoke about it. At Hogwarts he knew of a few gay couples so he didn't hold the same prejudice as his Aunt, even so it had taken a while to admit to himself that he was gay.  
"They do look good together."He thought.  
He flinched as the two wizards parted and the one with the curly red hair was making his way towards him. For a split second he thought the wizard could hear his thoughts. Embarrassment colored his face as the stranger got closer. Although he was glad it was the more timid out of the two he didn't want to admit catching the intense scene. His worry slow disappeared when he realized the hesitant approach of the man.  
"H..Hello." the man murmured.  
"Hi?"  
Noticing the puffy under eyeballs he could tell the man had been crying,which confused him.  
"Are you alright?" He asked.  
"Oh!" The man's eyes grew wide. "I should be asking you that...Of course you're. .. I mean...I'm sorry."  
Laughter became difficult to contain at the man's flustered speech. How he could ever think this man was a threat was nearly unthinkable now.  
"It's fine."  
"...Thank you for saving Percival. You shouldn't have done what you did..."  
"I couldn’t let him get attacked."  
"But you are ill and we are strangers."  
" Then let's fix that."He said extending his hand with a smile. "My name is Harry Potter. "  
Harry was shocked by the normal handshake. Usually when he introduced himself to strangers they would clasp both hands around him and shake it vigorously thanking him for defeating Voldemort when he was a baby. He always hated how people flung themselves at him or stared at him as if he were more than just a person. The fame of being the boy-who-lived was something he hated the most. Everyone constantly assumed he was this great person or had a huge ego.  
"I..I'm Newt Scamander. "  
That name was so familiar. He had to wrack his brain to pinpoint where he had heard it. A light bulb went off in his head.  
"You're Newt Scamander?!"  
"Umm...Yes?"Newt said taking a step back.  
" You're brilliant!"

Flustered was an understatement of how Newt was feeling at the moment. This young wizard named Harry Potter told him that he was brilliant. Not many people told him he was brilliant or knew who he was.  
"Are you sure you're not confusing me with my brother Theseus Scamander? "  
"Who?"  
"The war hero." He said shocked.  
"Never heard of him."  
Dumbstruck. He was completely at loss for words. Every wizard he had ever met compared him to his brother. How could this young man not know him? The lack of deception in his voice told him that this Mr. Potter wasn't making fun of him.  
"You... you must be mistaken."  
"I am not. Your book was one of the few that I actually read at school. "  
"You read my book?"  
"Of course! Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a big help."  
"That's impossible...I ...I have yet to finish the book. How?"  
"Magic?" Mr. Potter said wiggling his fingers in emphasis.  
He couldn't help smile at that.  
"Mr. Potter."  
"Call me Harry."  
"H..Harry have you really read my book?"  
" I have." He watched as Harry pulled the gold chain around his neck to show off with a multi rounded attachment. "You see this? It's called a time turner. We used it to go back in time."  
"Fascinating...Why did you go back in time and here of all places?"  
"There's something on this island that we need, which was eradicated way before my time."  
"Why would you risk traveling if you were ill?"  
"Because we were unsure if the plant were looking for would hold up with time traveling. And it's best if the potion to cure me was administered right away."  
"So that scary looking friend of yours is a potion master? I shouldn’t have called him that."  
"He actually has a reputation for being intimidating." Harry chuckled. " Snape is the best potions master in all of Wizard Britain if you ask me."  
Newt thought that these two wizards were a strange pair. The older wizard, who he now knew was named Snape was stern and unexpressive while Harry was the complete opposite. However these two had become friends was no doubt a lengthy story. The dark energy that came from the older wizard was still a concern,but he didn't want to voice it now.  
"So you came to find a creature? I wasn't really listening earlier. "  
"Yes.Mr. Graves and I came here to find the creature that has been chasing people off this mountain."  
"You could say you were successful." Harry chuckled.

Percival was glad that Newt was making friends with the young wizard. Following Newt's lead he moved to assist the older wizard and strike up a conversation.  
Fluidly the man in black moved about the campsite transfiguring things left and right. The center of their campsite was looking more and more like a potions laboratory. Watching the man work he pondered on the advantages of having a man with this skill set on his side.  
"Mr. Graves." The man said not looking up from his work.  
"Have we met before?"  
There was no way he would forget someone like this man. The man's presence commanded attention while simultaneously blending him into the background. Stoic and stern was how he would describe the man before him moving about brewing.  
"Today was our first meeting. " The man said while crushing something in his mortar. "I received your name from your associate. "  
"I find myself at a disadvantage when I don't know your name."  
"Severus Snape. "  
"Please to make your acquaintance Mr. Snape." He said moving to shake the man's hand.  
"Are you an imbecile? Put your hand down this instant."  
Percival had been called many things in his roles at MACUSA’s , but no one had the gall to call him an imbecile. Not one member of the MACUSA would dare fit him with that attribute. He was a feared man who demanded respect.  
"Do you know who I am?" he asked standing up straighter.  
"You are someone who clearly doesn't know proper brewing safety. If you did you would know that when working one should be cautious not to contaminate the ingredients or touch another person until after thoroughly washing."  
Mentally he took a step back. He hadn't realized the significance of the denied gesture. What he thought of as rude was something this Mr. Snape had done for his own safety.  
"Forgive me. Allow me to start over. I am Percival Graves head of MACUSA’s department of magical law enforcement and director of magical security. I am indebted to your companion for saving my life."  
"You should be speaking to him about it instead of bothering me, though he will dismiss your gratitude. It is in his nature to risk his life for someone. Harry Potter is as reckless as they come."  
"Then Mr. Potter has something in common with Mr. Scamander. He often finds himself in the most unusual situations."

"I shudder to think what those two could get up to." He said peering over at Potter and Mr. Scamander smiling at one another.  
Internally he sighed in relief at the sight. With all that was happening it was a great assurance that Potter was getting along with the other wizard. Striking up a friendship may prove enough of a distraction to ease the pain of his weakening magical core. Although he wasn’t planning on doing the same with Mr. Graves he did appreciate the man's assistance.  
"We should take turns keeping an eye on them." Mr. Graves suggested as he began to assemble a large tent.  
"Do not make an offer you don't intend to keep. Mr. Potter is a magnet for the improbable."  
"Newt Scamander could give him a run for his money. All his creatures get him into many predicaments, though I have no doubt he gets into some without their assistance."  
Pouring various ingredients into his cauldron he kept his eye on all around him. Teaching potions over the years had greatly strengthened his ability to perceive the actions of others even while he was engaged in something.  
"Were you at all injured?" He asked Mr. Graves as he stirred the potion counter clockwise.  
"Just a scratch." Mr. Graves said finishing assembling the tent.  
"Good. "  
Severus had packed nearly his entire stock for this trip ,but he was wary of using anything for anyone besides Potter. And even that was risky with potter's magical core weakened. He had to be mindful of how much he administered and it's effects. Distinguishing the flames he moved the cauldron with utmost care to a cooling station.  
"I don't mean to intrude but what happened to Mr. Potter?"  
"Mr. Potter was poisoned. " He said as he poured the liquid into several little vials.  
"A typical poisoning wouldn't result in the deterioration of his magical core."  
"Right you are."  
"There's no known cure.."  
He knew that Mr. Graves was thinking out loud. Death by a deteriorating magical core was seldom heard of. To damage a magical core to such a magnitude took great effort. Not even in war was it known to occur, of course in war a quick killing curse was the preferred method of many. Regardless he didn't like Mr. Graves having the wrong idea about Potter.  
"Mr. Potter will overcome as he had done with threats to his life before. "  
"Threats to his life?"  
"Has anyone told you that you're a very meddlesome man Mr. Graves? "  
Rude or not he didn't feel like divulging all their business to someone he would not meet again in his lifetime. This was the past and he needed to be mindful of that. Nothing could come out of him befriending this wizard, no matter of his connections with the MACUSA. In addition they didn't fully trust each other,suspicion was evident in how the man stared at him.  
"Has anyone told you that you're a difficult man Mr. Snape."  
"Constantly. " He said with a smirk.  
He was starting to like this man's ability to retort. Not many people could hold a conversation with him without storming off or bursting into tears.  
"Well Mr. Snape now that our tents are prepared I should check on Mr. Scamander before those two get up to something. "

"Do you mind if I call you Newt? Mr. Scamander just seems so formal to address a friend."He asked.  
"I..I like that."Newt smiled.  
"Could I ask you a question?"  
"Sure."  
Harry looked into Newt’s eyes hoping that his question wouldn't be seen as rude. Chatting for a while had made him feel so comfortable with this once stranger. Newt was so calm and despite the limited eye contact Harry could tell that the magizoologist listened to every word he said. Even the downturned of his head was endearing he could see why Mr. Graves liked Newt.  
"Umm... I was curious of what your relationship was with Mr. Graves. "  
"He's a very good man. Together we've helped a lot of magical creatures return to their homes."Newt beamed.  
"So you've been together a long time?"  
"We've been working together for a few years now."  
"That's not what I meant."  
"I don't understand."  
"I saw you two...umm..kissing."  
Newt's eyes grew wide and his words. Blushed covered the other wizards entire face. Harry knew he was equally red in the face. It made him feel better to see Newt's embarrassment. Back in Hogwarts he avoided talks about kissing and being intimate because of the one time he was made fun for turning bright red. Curiosity wouldn’t let him go now.

  
Newt was at a loss for words. Never would he thought that their kiss was seen by the young wizard. He didn't know how to approach the subject of his relationship with Percival. Same-sex couples weren't completely unheard of in the wizard in world ,but there still was some held prejudices. Especially among the elite being gay was more than frowned upon,which he often worried about considering Percival's position. Despite the possible consequences Percival never once treated him as a dirty secret.  
"I'm sorry. I was just curious."Harry said biting his bottom lip.  
"It's. ..it's okay."  
"So you don't mind?" Harry asked with hopeful eyes.  
He could only shyly smile at the excitement that radiated off Harry. For a sixteen year old Harry appeared to be very innocent, then again he too hadn't really been interested in that aspect of life. Most of what he had learned about sex came from studying mating habits of mythical creatures. Mating was a natural thing that he could talk at length at without too much trouble,but when it came to humans it was a different story. Humans were complex in a way that animals weren't, which perplexed him to no end.  
"I have so many questions, but I'll save them for later. "Harry said glancing over his shoulder.  
Following his gaze Newt saw Percival and Mr. Snape approaching. The two looked alike in the way they carried themselves, though Mr. Snape had a flair about his movements that Percival didn't.  
"Promise me that we'll talk again...Oh and don't tell Snape that I told you about the time turner he would kill me." Harry said as he lifted his pinky finger.  
"I..I promise." He said interlinking his own pinky with Harry's.  
"And what exactly are we promising to?" Mr. Snape asked.  
Newt practically flew back at the voice. Mr. Snape had been so silent that the sudden voice scared him half to death. Something about the man was so intimidating that he found himself constantly shrinking to appear less of a threat. It wasn’t just the traces of dark magic that made him nervous. The trained motions and limited expression gave the older wizard an air of mystery, as if the man had something to hide.  
"Newt promised me to teach me about some of the mythical creatures that live here." Harry said with a bright smile.  
"You better be prepared to have your ears talked off." Percival laughed.  
He knew that Percival was playfully teasing him. Newt knew all too well that once he got started on creatures it was rather difficult to stop. The day Percival had showed interest in his work he had gone into a lecture mode ,pulling out images and maps to show exactly where each creature came from.  
"I'm perfectly fine with having my ears talked off."Harry laughed.  
"You mean it?"He asked.  
"Of course. I really think it's interesting."  
He would've happily pulled out his note book and chat,but the look on Mr. Snape's face told him that he wanted to talk to Harry.  
"Perhaps when you're feeling up for it we can go for a walk."  
"That'll be great. "  
"Before I steal Mr. Scamander away I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I'm in debt with you. "  
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you would do the same for me."

"If you feel as though you need to repay the favor I'm sure a moment to do so will rise up sooner or later. Though I do intend to prevent Mr. Potter from getting into trouble. "He said.  
There was something going on between Potter and Mr. Scamander. Although the boy wonder did show ernest interest in mythical creatures there was a glimmer of mischief in those emerald eyes. Instincts had yet to to be proven wrong when it concerned Potter and what he is instincts were telling him is that Potter was hiding something.  
"I'll assist in keeping these two out of trouble. "Mr. Graves said meeting the eyes of Mr. Scamander. "Would you care to join me in gathering some firewood Mr. Scamander? " He said extending a hand.  
Severus watched as Mr. Scamander hesitantly took Mr. Graves hand ,keeping his head low he stood up. Potter's face pinked slightly at the moment ,which he mentally made a note of. Once the two wizards left he turned his attention to Potter's condition.  
"Your face looks flushed."He stated.  
"I'm fine."Potter said, more pinkcheeks turning pinker.  
Digging into his bag he pulled out some bread rolls.  
"Here this should hold you over until we can make dinner."  
"Thank you.” Potter said taking the bread but not eating.  
"I didn't do anything to them. They're perfectly edible. "He said ripping a piece off and popping it into his mouth.  
"I'm just not hungry sir."  
"Are you in pain?" He asked, pulling out his notebook.  
"No."  
"You should be completely honest with me. I must know of any change so I can adjust your care accordingly. No matter how minuscule it is I need to know about it. And you should eat."  
At his insistence Potter finally bit into the roll. In a blink of an eye the roll was gone. He handed a few more to the boy-who-was-indeed-hungry. Seeing Potter eat put him a bit more at ease. A  
lack of hunger could be detrimental to stability and eventual recovery.  
"I guess I really was hungry." Potter said as he finished a second roll.  
"Perhaps your conversation with Mr. Scamander was so riveting that you didn't realize." He said filling up Potter's cup with water.  
"What he does is very interesting. "Potter said taking the water and sipping it.  
"I would imagine so."  
"You seemed to be almost friendly with Mr. Graves."  
"Friendly?" He asked with an arched eyebrow. He couldn't understand how he had appeared to be friendly with the American.  
"Well you didn’t hex him or call him an idiot. And here I thought I was special for not being called names." Potter said with a mocked pout.  
"I can assure you that I am not the friendly sort. I don't poses a friend. Furthermore, I did call Mr. Graves an imbecile not a few minutes ago. No one is immune to my 'name calling' as you put it. If it would please you I can resume calling you names. "  
"I think I'm okay without the name calling." The young wizard said we attempting to stifle his laughs.  
Increasingly Severus was realizing how much he enjoyed hearing that laugh. No one had laughed like that around him in a long time. Laughter was usual at his expense,thus often sounded cruel to him. Potter's laughter wasn't filled with cruelty. That laughter was completely unique to Harry Potter,not sounding like Lilly's high pitched giggle or James booming laughter. And that smile that shined as bright as the sun was starting to become something he wanted to see more of. For now he choosed to push away those thoughts and the meaning behind them.  
"Have you felt any discomfort since I administered the potion?"  
"No. I feel pretty good. Still tired but no pain."  
Jotting down the current results in his note book he was feeling more confident that his theories were being proven correct. All of this was a huge gamble,one that he had to pay off.

"So how was your chat with Mr. Potter?"Percival asked.  
"It was good."  
"Anything I should know?"He asked unsure about Newt’s vague answer.  
"He's a very nice young man. I can't wait to teach him about mythical creatures."Newt said shifting the pieces of wood in his arms.  
He was so proud of Newt for engaging with Mr. Potter. Even after all this time he knew Newt felt so awkward around strangers that he rarely talked to anyone. That coupled with bounties nervous energy was what made Newt ,still he wondered if it prevented his lover from pursuing a teaching career. Percival knew how much Newt loved to discover new creatures as well as free those that have been smuggled all around the world. All the knowledge Newt had was going into his book,even so he didn't think all the love Newt had for the creatures could be captured in the pages of the book.  
The sun was starting to sink in the sky. Beautiful was the only word that could come to mind as the fading sun gave the surroundings a new tint. Newt's red curls looked even brighter as the lighting highlighted them. He couldn't take his eyes off the man in front of him as excitement sparkled in his eyes at a nearby fairy. Percival knew that they needed to get back ,yet he wasn't willing to part with this scene.

Newt caught Percival's gaze when he turned his head away from the fairy. There was that look in Percival's eyes that made his heart flutter. Harry's voice came to his mind asking how long he was in a relationship with Percival. It seemed almost unfathomable to think of life without Percival by his side now. They had created so many memories together some crazier than others. Being besides Percival was something he would never grow tired of. Although he was what Queenie called ‘oblivious in the ways of the heart’ he knew he loved Percival. It took years for him to catch on with Percival's flirting. Even when both Queenie and Tina told him how obvious Percival was being with his intentions he couldn't see it,however now it was ever so slightly different. Now he could read more of Percival's suttle movements and glances. And the glance that Percival was giving him drew him closer.  
"Is something wrong he asked." Starting to feel embarrassed he adjusted the pile of wood in his arms.  
"Just admiring your beauty." Percival said pushing aside a stray curl from his face.  
This motion he knew was one of the many that Newt could read it's intention. His heart quickened even more when Percival cupped his face. Percival's thumb rubbed against his reddening cheeks.  
"Should we go back?"Percival whispered.  
He responded by leaning forward. Ever so gently he placed his lips on Percival's. The action shocked himself as well as Percival. He wasn’t the aggressive type nor did he ever initiate intimacy. All the signs were telling him that this is what Percival wanted so he had gone for it.  
"You surprise me."  
Before he could say a word lips pressed back onto his.

The pink tint of Newt's cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Harry when the couple returned with firewood. As he watched the two set down the wood he wanted to talk with Newt, though he knew that this wasn’t the best time. The sun was setting fast and Newt probably had his fill of Harry meddling in his personal life.  
"Is there something I can do?"He asked Snape.  
"If you are feeling up for it I will not object to assistance with dinner."  
"I would love to cook!" He said eagerly.  
Cooking was one of the chores at the Dursleys that he had enjoyed,well when he didn't get yelled at. It was something he had a knack for that the Dursleys punishments had pushed to almost perfection of an array of dished. Excitedly he moved to stand. In a split second his feet gave out sending him forward. Placing his hands outward to catch himself from the impending fall he was stopped. It took a while to realise that Snape had him in his arms. Frazzled he tried to move out of Snape's grasp,which caused the man to tighten it. He was starting to freak out. Thoughts of not being able to walk again came to his mind. Harry didn't know how he could defeat Voldemort if he couldn't walk anymore. Panic gripped his airways causing him to hyperventilate.  
"Calm down." Snape repeated over and over.  
Snape's voice felt as if it was washing over him soothing his nerves. That low baritone sending vibrations straight through his tight chest,slowly loosening it.  
Gripping a handful of Snape's shirt he tried to move away. Firm hands stilled his efforts once again. Dark obsidian eyes bore into his with a look that was without a word. Those eyes were looking at him as if he were someone else.  
"Sorry. "  
"Can you stand?" The potions master asked as if just now coming back to the present.  
Truthfully he was terrified of attempting to stand only to discover that he had lost the ability. The other two wizards were looking at them,at him acting so helpless. Snape wasn't looking at him that way,as if he were frail, the man never did. Even now those hands were guiding him back onto his feet. Easing himself up little by little he could feel the encouragement to stand. Needles and pins feeling crawled up his legs as his feet found the ground. Leaning against Snape he waited for the feeling to fade,in the back of his mind he still expected to be pushed away. Taking a step the tingling of his extremities dissipate,yet still felt semi unstable. Snape's hold on him lessened to the point where he was supported only by the tips of the man's fingers on his elbows.  
"Thank you." He said once he was able to take a step without the sensation of toppling over.  
"Perhaps I should've prevent you from prolonged sitting."  
"You're not responsible for this."  
Snape appeared to not have heard him. The man was lost in thought muttering words under his breath. Tenderly he placed a hand on Snape's shoulder.  
"Let's make some food."He offered a smile. "I am alright. Please let me do this."

When Harry fell Newt had wanted to spring forward,but Mr. Snape had already snatched the ill wizard from colliding with the ground. Worried he watched as Harry worked to stand. Percival's hand around his own stopped him from assisting.  
"He's got it." Percival said when he was about to question his lover for stopping him.  
Newt wasn't sure who Percival was referring to. Percival looked at the duo with knowledge in his eyes.

Against better judgement Severus allowed Potter to cook. More than ever he was compelled to watch every move Potter made. The fall should have never happened and it wouldn't happen ever again as long as he could prevent it. Mentally he had to rule out the possibility of the momentary paralysis being a side effect of his temporary solution to Potter's ailment.  
"You really don't have to keep looking at me like that."Potter murmured.  
"How pretell am I looking at you?"  
"As if something bad will happen if you take your eyes off of me."  
"And who's to say that isn't true. The only time you remotely behave in school is in my class."  
"The whole 'listen up or I'll hex you' vibe really helps with that."  
"Oh really? " He inquired. "If I threatened to hex you now would that refrain you from doing anything foolish?"  
"What foolishness could I get up to?"  
"Knowing you Mr. Potter you can manage to get up to a lot."

"Sir... considering the circumstances...you can call me Harry."  
The words had come out staggered but easy enough. Over the years the relationship he had with the potions professor had changed so drastically. In first year he believed all the rumors of the most feared professor in Hogwarts. He had even roped Hermione into proving that Snape was a vampire. Which was proven to be wrong. Suspicion of the man had grown throughout the years. Finding out that Snape was a Death Eater through one of his ‘nightmares’ had shaken him to his core. That was the only time he had truly hated the man. All the name calling,detentions,and deduction of house points angered him. Worst of all was how Snape assumed how his life was great simply because he was the-boy-who-lived. So many times he had complained to Dumbledore about Snape how he couldn't be trusted ,yet each time he would receive a twinkle eyed look and a cup of tea. When at long last he had been told about Snape's true alliance that hatred had steadily disappear as Dumbledore had highlighted all the times Snape's seemingly snarky actions had actually saved him. Hatred had metamorphosed into admiration and understanding. Guilt added on to the mix of feelings when he saw some of Snape's memories during occlumency lessons. Ever since that Snape had become more human rather than a rumored vampire,a snarky professor, Death Eater, or a traitor. The current situation they were in however was once again changing his perspective of the man. This time he wasn't seeing how Snape had helped him after the fact. Now he could see first hand how Snape looked after him,protect him, and supported him.  
"You would prefer I use your given name?"  
"Yes." He spoke through the biting of his bottom lip.  
"Very well...Harry. "  
The way Snape pronounced his name sparked something within him that he had never felt from any other person speaking his name. Desperately he told himself that the heat rising was due to the nearby fire.

Percival had led Newt back to the tent when he noticed that the other two wizards had things under control. Without their own luggage he had to go about transfiguring items to sleep on.  
"I'm fine just sleeping on the floor." Newt said.  
"I will not let you."  
"But you've used up a lot of magic already . And I can handle it really. It's not the first time."  
Giving a small smile he took Newt's hand. His lover was always the type of person who put others before himself. Even with the exhaustion setting in he wanted to spoil Newt with the best sleeping arrangements he could conjure up.  
"At least a sleeping bag?" He offered trying to compromise.  
"Okay. I'll do it myself."  
He stood back watching Newt transfigured two cots for them to sleep on. The tent now had one side bare. He wasn't sure if the Mr. Snape had brought along sleeping gear ,though he wouldn't have put it past the man. Mr. Snape appeared to be the sort that prepared for everything.  
He caught Newt tapping his wand slightly in the air. The way Newt moved his wand was as if he were conducting an orchestra. Gracefully, fluidity of the movements nearly brought music to his mind. Classical pieces constantly lined up with the timing of Newt's movements in his mind.  
With a final flick of the wrist a twin sized mattress laid on the once bare side of the tent.  
"I thought Harry should have a comfortable sleep."Newt smiled.  
"I'm sure he will appreciate the sentiment."  
"Should I make one for Mr. Snape?"Newt asked nervously.  
He could understand Newt's nervousness. Mr. Snape after all was a man that they didn't know too well or fully trusted,as such they were unsure if proving these accommodations would upset the man.  
"If he would like something else I will assist you in making it."  
With his encouragement Newt created another slightly larger mattress. With the mattresses and the cots the tent now more agreeable.  
"Shall we check on dinner preparations?"

A heavenly scent filled his nostrils as they stepped through the tent. Newt truly hoped that his transfigurations would be up to the standards of Mr. Snape. Percival was right though if necessary it would only take a moment to fix.  
"Smells lovely. " He stated.  
"It appears that H... Mr. Potter had been hiding such a talent for cooking. Though one would not guess it from his mistakes in my potions class."  
"If I excelled in class who would you constantly berate?"  
" I have no shortage of dimwitted first years to take up your mantel."  
The words sounded so harsh to his ears yet viewing Harry’s reactions those words didn't bother the young man.  
"These two sure have an interesting relationship." He thought.  
A shiver trailed up his spine when his eyes connected with the nearly pitch black eyes of Mr. Snape. Newt hoped to Merlin that Mr. Snape didn't have the same ability as Queenie. Queenie’s gift of legilimency had driven him mad. It was so easy for his friend to connect to his thoughts as if he were broadcasting them for all to hear. Right now he didn't feel the slight tug he usually felt when Queenie slipped into his thoughts.  
"S...Sorry I wasn't much help today."  
"With that creature running about perhaps we'll be in need of your aptitude yet. "  
It was a compliment. Although it was drenched in a sarcastic dull tone it was a compliment. Harry’s smile only confirmed this.  
"If there's ever anything you need.."  
"I will call upon you when needed."  
"Mr. Snape I admire your forward thinking."Percival said overlooking the stew brewing.  
"One should always come prepared for any eventuality."Mr. Snape said crossing his arms and sitting up a little taller. "Regrettably I had packed to only sustain myself and Mr. Potter for the duration of our trip."  
"Tomorrow we could make our descent down the mountain. I have no objections to providing a room at the hotel we're staying at. " Percival said.  
"That is not possible."  
"It really is not an issue. I insist."  
"We are at a time constraint. I cannot waste a moment. I will not."Mr. Snape said with eyes narrowing into slits.  
There would be no arguing with the elder wizard. If he received that look he'd be petrified on the spot. Percival on the other hand had no problem. Years of dealing with unsavory characters gave Percival tougher skin than he had.  
"It is imperative that we find what we came here for."  
"I only wish to offer comfort to your ailing companion and yourself. "  
A flicker so quick and faint showed in Mr. Snape’s eyes. That glare intensified and back straighten more,if the man were a creature Newt was sure it would pounce. Harry must've thought so too as the young man's hand rested on Mr. Snape's hand. The eye contact between Percival broke in that moment,glancing at Harry’s hand.  
"We really do need to stay here."Harry apologized.  
Because of their earlier talk he knew that neither wizard could afford to interact with more people from the past. Time traveling wasn't something he had much knowledge in,still he figured that the less interaction the two had with others the less damage would occur in their future.  
"For now we shouldn't we enjoy the food and rest. Tomorrow I can help foraging for food." He said hoping to cut the tension.

"Newt is right. It's been a long day." Harry added.  
Thankfully the tension building eased with a nod from Snape. Settling down Snape was not an easy task. With his hand on top of Snape's he could feel the anger still surging. Instinctual he rubbed his thumb over the back of the older wizard's hand. Forcefully the hand was revoked from the touch.  
"Sorry."  
Moving to ladle a helping into a bowl he did his best not to show the tremors in his hand.  
"Here you are Mr. Graves. " He smiled.  
"Thank you." The American said taking the offered food.  
"Newt." He beamed as he ladle another helping.  
"Thank you."  
"I can't wait for our walk tomorrow. "  
"I look forward to it as well."Newt said before sideways glancing at Snape. "That is if you are feeling well."  
Snape wasn't his keeper. If he wanted to go off with Newt he could ,still it felt good to know that the man was protecting him. Personally he didn't see how anyone could view Newt as a threat. In any case he wanted to learn more from the magizoologist and not just about mythical creatures.  
"Walks would do Potter good. " Snape agreed.  
As Newt scampered away he went to ladle a helping for Snape.  
"I can make my own Potter. "  
"It's not a big deal. Plus didn't you agree to call me Harry? "  
"Such a change is not instantaneous as you may think."  
"Sure it is Severus."  
"I do not recall giving you permission to use my given name. "Snape snarled.  
The anger was genuine ,even if it felt misdirected.  
"Sorry sir."  
The distance that lived between them still lingered. For some odd reason it hurt to realise that it existed all the way out here. Here there was no reason to continue on the way they had interacted at Hogwarts. There was no Headmaster with knowing looks that only served to confuse him. No students or staff to hide from when they managed to have a decent conversation. Harry couldn't understand why they had to act as if they hated one another. Or maybe Snape really did hate him. If that was the case this whole situation didn't make one lick of sense.  
Out of the corner of his eyes he watched Snape pinch the bridge of his nose. The motion was one that he had seen Snape do on multiple occasions. Sometimes he wondered if the motion was used to prevent Snape from exploding into rage.  
"You should eat."Snape muttered as he moved away.  
"What about you?"  
"I will shortly. I need to check on something."  
"Alright."  
With a nod Snape left. Even without those teaching robes Snape still managed to dramatically stroll off in a slightly quick pace. Harry wasn’t sure what to make of the sudden exit though. Had he gone too far calling him Severus? If the man was willing to call him by his given name why couldn't he do the same? Saying sir or professor didn't feel right. Besides he rather liked the way the man's name sounded on his tongue.

Severus had to take a walk. Things were getting too dangerous with the young Gryffindor. The closeness that the boy was seeking couldn't be provided,at least not by him. Agreeing to calling Potter Harry was a mistake. Using the given name offered only false closeness. Long ago he vowed to never get close to another person. Not even Lily Evans, his one and only friend, was allowed actions of affection that Harry easily instigated. The hand touching and hugging were far outside of his comfort zone. And then Harry had to say his given name as if it were the easiest thing in the world. His name sounded too natural on the younger's lips. Sure there were those who called him by his first name ,but not like this. He was used to his name being spat out as if it were the most disgusting thing in the world. There were many memories if his name bellowed by his father before a beating and his named hissed by The Dark Lord. Few memories held the sweet tone of his mother calling out to him.  
This is why he needed to leave Harry's side. Unknownst to the younger the smallest things the Gryffindor did resembled his late mother's actions.  
"It won't happen again." He murmured to himself.  
Reaching into his inner pocket he produced the tattered note book. Lately he was relying on it as a means of quelling the anxiety within. It was the only thing keeping him sane in this insanity. Insane was the only way he could describe this situation. It was insane to use a time turner, which he still didn't know how it got into Potter's possession, to go back more than several years. It was insane to team up with the unlikely duo they had met here on the mountain,whom he still didn't fully trust. Above all he was insane for thinking that this time he would be successful in obtaining the much needed plant.  
"How many years has it been?" He asked the dingy parchment in his hands.  
The sketch of the illusive plant still looked as if he had just drawn it yesterday. Taking his index finger he traced the image.

Percival watched as Mr. Potter looked on with worried eyes at Mr. Snape’s absence. The previous light touching obviously made the older wizard uncomfortable. Curiosity of these two would be the death of him. If Mr. Snape was more approachable he would ask the man up front. Even Newt was observing the two interact. The boy looked so lost without his companion.  
"You should go talk to him. He likes you."  
"I'm sure he'd like you too if he got to know you."Newt said.  
"I'm sure. I would like to check on the protection of our campsite." He said finishing the helping of stew.  
"You're going to talk to Mr. Snape aren't you."Newt smiled.  
"If he'll let me." He grinned.  
They both rose and walked over to Mr. Potter.  
"That was delicious.Thank you very much for the meal." He complimented.  
"You should eat." Newt encouraged.  
"I will when Snape does. I want to make sure he eats too."  
"I'll bring the meal to him."He offered.  
"Are you sure?"Mr. Potter asked.  
"I like to think Mr. Snape and I are becoming good friends." He grinned as he picked up a serving of the stew and strolled off.  
Mindful of the food in his hand Percival didn't walk too briskly. Off in the distance he spotted the black mass that was undoubtedly Mr. Snape. The man appeared to be in deep thought. When he got close enough he peered over the man's shoulder to see a old notebook open to a sketch of a plant he hadn't seen before, not that he had much knowledge of plants living in a city. Clearing his throat to alert the man of his presence he stood still. All too quickly the man slammed the book closed and rose to meet his gaze.  
"I thought you could use some food." He stood tall not wanting to cower under the man's glare.  
After a moment of looking over the bowl in his hand Mr. Snape nodded and took it from him without letting a single finger touch his. Interestingly Mr. Snape didn't dig into the meal right away instead he brought the bowl up to his face and whiffed it. Taking his pinky finger Mr. Snape dipped it into the food stirred a little and then tasted it. The whole process was intriguing.  
"You sure are a careful man." He commented.  
"Some would say I'm more paranoid than careful, one must be in my line of work."  
"And what would that be?"  
"I would think a man of MACUSA would enjoy the thrill of investigation. If I told you outright it would spoil your fun of figuring it out."  
The man was right. Nothing was better than piecing things together to get the full picture of a difficult case. He truly enjoyed tracking down people and conducting interrogations,both which he hadn't gotten to do too much recently. Paperwork was dealt with more than creature smugglers or other culprits these days. The occasional tagging along with Newt was his only escape from long hours at a desk. Sure what he did at said desk was beneficial,still it was boring him to death.  
"I will take on your challenge." He grinned.  
"You will need far more than luck to be successful in your endeavor."  
"Luck has nothing to do with it. I am a skilled investigator. "  
"And I am immune to your puny attempts of interrogation." Mr. Snape smirked as he took a bite of stew.  
"You clearly haven't seen me in action." He teased.  
"Feel free to do your worst." Mr. Snape said with a glare as cold as ice.  
"You are truly a fascinating man." He said playfully returning the look.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Newt asked after a while.  
"I don't think Snape will kill Mr. Graves." He said. "I'd be more concerned about them teaming up. They would not let us get away with anything."  
"They are kind of similar...like they way their backs are always straight so they feel like they tower over you."  
"You have no idea. I could barely look at Snape when we first met."  
"I was the same!" Newt shyly smiled. "I had no idea what to think of him. It was hard to get to know him after dealing with Grindelwald pretending to be him. I couldn't really distinguish between the two for awhile."  
"That's crazy." He said thinking about how the MadEye Moony had met in fourth year was actually an imposter who used polyjuice. It had been hard to trust the real MadEye,even now he was weary about the odd man. "If it makes you feel better I thought Snape was a really bad guy and a vampire."  
"I don't know much about vampires ,but I can see it. He is rather pale."  
"It's because he stays locked up in Hogwarts’s dungeon. " He chuckled. "He is really a great person,though I'm not too sure if he is a vampire or not."  
"I don't think a vampire would handle the amount of sunlight here."  
"You never know. He could've made a potion to stop him from burning or something. He is a brilliant potions master."He boasted.

Newt smiled at the proud tone of Harry’s voice. This young man's eyes sparkled in a way that he'd seen several times before. He'd studied similar looks on other people's faces. What he knew about such sparkle in people's eyes was that it shone the brightest when directed at people who were deeply cared about. It was plain as day that Harry cared deeply for Mr. Snape and he would argue that Mr. Snape also cared for Harry. The thing was that nearly every action the man took didn't show his care was as deep as Harry’s. Newt knew there had to be something there for the stern man to come here,to team up with them,to protect this ailing wizard. No one would do those things if they didn’t care. Still there was no visible sparkle in the dark eyes of Mr. Snape. Even the way the older wizard withdrew from Harry’s touch read as if he didn’t care. But the way Mr. Snape carried himself and acted constantly felt methodical. People truly were mysterious creatures to him.  
"How are you feeling?" He asked.  
"I'm feeling good. I freaked out a little when my legs gave out earlier. Snape thinks it's because I was sitting too long. So those walks you promised me would be good."  
"A...Are you sure?"  
In that moment Harry stood up and started dancing. Newt had no idea how to react to the sudden movements.  
"If I can dance I can handle tomorrow's walk."  
"You should be resting."  
"You worry too much Newt. "  
"I ...suppose."  
He didn't want to go on about how ill Harry was. Pointing it out wouldn't do anything beside annoy and anger him. For now it was better to let the younger man enjoy the limited freedom.  
"Would you mind if I lend a hand in the clean up? "  
"That would be a big help."  
Newt would've used a simple cleaning charm but Harry asked him to transfigure a shallow bucket ,soap ,and a sponge. Casting a spell to fill the bucket with water he assisted Harry in washing the dishes. He wondered why Harry was so keen on cleaning up in this manner. Most wizards didn't like to do things like cleaning without magic, yet Harry seemed content to do it by hand. He was thankful that his new friend wouldn't waste his depleting magic so easily.

Sleep was calling Harry as he finished washing the last dish. Scrubbing the stew pot had been rather difficult,which Newt had to finish off for him. It was funny to see Newt aggressively scrubbing and sloshing the water all over himself. Now he was so tired he could fall asleep on the spot. A yawn escaped him as he stretched.  
"Should we call it a day?"Newt asked. "The sun will be completely gone in a bit I'm sure."  
"I want to wait up for Snape."  
"You can barely keep your eyes open. Come we can wait for them in the tent."  
"You're right. "He said noticing how heavy his eyelids felt.  
Waving off Newt's hand to help him up he slowly stood up so he wouldn't collapse again. He really was feeling good ,not back to a hundred percent but good. Snape's potion was amazing,they always were. Without Snape's help he would hardly have one decent night of sleep. Sure he received the Dreamless Sleep from Dumbledore but he knew without a doubt they were brewed by Snape. Everything in Hogwarts was brewed by the potions professor, especially the stock in the infirmary. If the students knew it was the snarky professor they had to thank for their necessary medical potions they would be so suspicious of the potions being poisoned that no one would step foot into the infirmary again. Harry was certain that Snape would never do something like poison potions, but it was often difficult to separate the reputation from the man. He did have a sneaking suspicion that the man made the medical potions as nasty tasting as possible.  
"You know." He yawned. "I'm surprised that Snape allows me to talk with you. It's not like you're a bad person,it's just he can be very paranoid."  
"We'll I am a stranger."  
"I already consider you a friend."He smiled. "Besides it's not personal. I don't think he even trusts people he's known for years."  
"What about you?"  
Harry shook his head. "I honestly don't know where I stand with him. He use to hate me,or still does?"  
"I ..don't think he hates you."  
"Sometimes I know he doesn't. Other times I can't shake the feeling like he's avoiding me ,probably so he doesn't hex me into next week. I'm a thorn in his side."  
Again he thought about the way Snape revoked his hand away. Why did it hurt so much? Snape wasn’t overly friendly towards him on a typical day,still they had gotten closer. After those occlumency lessons he had felt something for the man that remained nameless. That nameless feeling was growing even more since the most recent Potter incident.  
Shaking off those thoughts he followed Newt into the tent. He paused as soon as he saw two cots on one side and two mattresses on the other. He had a sleeping bag so he wasn't expecting anything more than sleeping on the ground. It wouldn't be the first time he had to sleep without a bed. Plus the sleeping bag was way more than he had in his cupboard at the Dursleys. Figuring the more lavish bedding was for Newt and Mr. Graves he made his way to one of the cots.  
"What are you doing Harry?"  
"Isn't this mine?" He asked pointing to the cot.  
"No. Those are for Percival and I."  
"You can't be serious!" His mouth dropped open.  
"I thought it best for you and Mr. Snape to have something more comfortable. " Newt smiled with a pink tint on his cheeks.  
Running over to the magizoologist he gave the biggest hug he could muster. Newt could never know how much it meant to him to have this bed. It was slightly larger than the ones at Hogwarts dormitory and far better looking than the ratty old lumpy mattress the Dursleys had eventually gave him when the cupboard under the stairs couldn't house him anymore.  
"Thank you."He nearly cried.  
Impulsively he belly flopped onto the mattress. Soft was the first word that came to mind as his body met the mattress. This was the softest thing he'd ever touched. It felt as if he were lying on a cloud. Side to side he happily rolled.  
"I can die happy now."He joked lying outstretched.  
"You...shouldn't say that." Newt said softly.  
"Merlin it's so soft. How did you do this? I can barely turn a animal into a cup, which is a strange spell when you think about it."  
"Personally I don't like that spell...I can't help thinking that it must hurt them to go through that."  
"I never thought about that." He said biting the bottom of his lip and sitting up.  
"I might be the only one who does think about those kind of things." Newt mumbled as he stared at the ground.  
"I don't think they would teach us anything that would hurt a living creature. " He offered. "Dumbledore wouldn't allow it."  
"Dumbledore!"Newt looked up. "He still teaches at Hogwarts in your time?"  
Harry wasn’t sure how much revealing something so small would affect the future. For all he knew he had already twisted the future to the point that he somehow made it so people grew two heads or spoke backwards. Then again if he had messed up wouldn't he cease to exist or look different? Beside it wasn't as if he was the first time traveler to slip some info about the future.  
"Well he's not teaching classes. He does teach me a bit about the Wizarding World though."  
"So what does he do if not teach? He was one of my favorite professors."  
"He's the Headmaster."  
"That's amazing! He was always kind to me. I should've kept in touch after I got expelled. "  
"Expelled?"  
"I shouldn’t have said that."  
"You don't have to be ashamed of it."  
"T..thanks."

  
To Severus's surprise Mr. Graves wasn't too bad of company. After finishing his stew they had sat quietly in contemplation. Mr. Graves was probably trying to figure out his position while he was busy thinking of Potter,or Harry as he was told to call the Gryffindor. More specifically he was thinking about what adjustments he had to make for the temporary relief his potion gave Harry. The notes in his notebook lined up well so far, but he wouldn't fall into false security. Studying the effects of the damaged core of Harry couldn't be so set in the little knowledge he had acquired from others. Harry Potter wasn’t like any typical person ,this situation alone wouldn't happen to anyone besides Harry Potter.  
"What is your favorite drink?" Mr. Graves asked.  
"Why are you asking me such trivial question?"  
"I take it you’re not use to small talk then."  
"No. Those who know better stay clear from me."  
"I must be as imbecilic as you suggest if that is true."  
"Indeed."He smirked.  
"I too don't care for small talk."  
"Then why engage in it?"  
"Unfortunately sometimes we have to do things that we don't care for. I can't be as bold as you to outright deny conversation."  
"I don't see why not."  
Mr. Graves was not a pushover. The American held a lot of power and he suspected that what he felt from the man was only a fraction. Even with putting the protective barriers,which he had determined were strong enough to keep things at bay, the American wizard still had enough energy to do multiple transfigurations. He admired the strength that this stranger had showed. The last and only American wizard he had met while pursuing his masters in potions had flaunted his magic at every opportunity. The experience had left a dislike for American wizards,though now he knew he had over generalized. Here was a way more powerful wizard than that dunderhead who was not flaunting his magic but methodically putting it to use.  
"I need to keep up appearances. I'm already the most isolated and unapproachable member of MACUSA, by choice of course. Madame President would wring my neck if I actively glared at clients or coworkers making small talk."  
"I would take the neck wringing over idle chatter that offered nothing."  
"Agreed. I do however have to think about my subordinates, who would be lost without me."  
""They must care for you a lot then."  
"Frankly they hate me for being on their case. Without me watching over their shoulder things turn into chaos. Making a copy becomes fighting off a fire." Mr. Graves laughed.  
"One would think those in MACUSA would be better than children first learning how to control their magic." He said amused.  
"They are worse than children." Mr. Graves paused to take in the surroundings. "This has been refreshing. Newt doesn't like it when I complain about the incompetence of my coworkers. He's far too sweet to say a single bad thing about anyone. I wouldn't change that though."  
Severus studied the glimmer in the American's eyes. That coupled with a warm smile at the mentioning of Mr. Scamander told him a fair amount. Sentiment of this variety was something that never sat well with him. Anything lovey-dovey or mushy was practically his sworn enemy. Even so it somehow looked good on the American. Perhaps it was because of the stoic way he carried around his feelings instead of acting like a love sick puppy blurring it out to anyone who would hear. Mr. Graves was respectable about his shows of affection and wasn't embarrassed by it. He admired that. It would take several more years for being gay to be more acceptable in the Wizarding World. In this time it was still more tolerated than accepted. As a gay man he didn't see why being attracted to the same sex was considered such a horrible thing within the Wizarding World. Fears about lack of heirs in high standing families were laughable. In fact there were a handful of cases in which wizards were able to birth children. Male pregnancy was more dangerous than female pregnancy but there had been procedures developed to minimize risk. Being gay however was still a minority and within that was even a smaller minority of wizards possessing the ability to birth children.  
"As much as I would like to carry on this conversation I think it's time to sleep."Mr. Graves spoke suddenly shaking him out of his thoughts.  
"Firewhiskey. "He said as he stood.  
"What was that?"  
"My favorite drink." He stated as they made their way back.  
"What a coincidence. I too am a whiskey man."  
Severus internally smirked at the response. Mr. Graves was indeed not too bad company.

The conversation with Mr. Snape had gone much better than his previous attempts. If there were more people like him at MACUSA they would be unstoppable. Mentally he made a note to reach out to the man after this mountain trip. He was ready to sleep the second they reached the tent. Giggling could be heard behind the material entrance. For some reason Mr. Snape was wearing a scowl though it seemed more of an act than genuine. Thinking not much of it they entered the tent to find Newt and Mr. Potter rolling around on the mattress giggling like children. At the clearing of Mr. Snape's throat the two jumped upright. Newt looked petrified while Mr. Potter continued to chuckle.  
"What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Snape asked raising one eyebrow.  
"Come." Mr. Potter motioned. "You have to feel how soft this mattress is."  
"As soft as it may be we should let them rest on their own mattresses." Mr. Snape said before turning attention to Newt. "Mr. Scamander these accommodations are appreciated." The man motioned to the cots.  
"I..I ..umm.."Newt stuttered seeking assistance with his eyes.  
"What Newt is trying to say is that he created the mattresses for the both of you. The cots are for us."  
Mr. Snape stood speechless. Percival guesses that his clothing,which some would say was extravagant, made the other think that he wouldn't dare sleep on a cot. He was perfectly fine with the cots now. Previously he had a bit of issue with them. That all changed because of Newt. Newt constantly pushed him out of his comfort zone and he tried to do the same.  
"Can you believe it Snape! We have our own beds!" Mr. Potter beamed.  
"Wouldn't you two rather have the beds?"  
"Nonsense we insist."He said and Newt nodded in agreement.  
"Very well."  
"He means thank you." Mr. Potter smiled from Mr. Snape to him.  
"We should rest."He said offering a hand to Newt.  
This time Newt didn't hesitate as much to take his hand. Mr. Potter smiled brightly at them and even Mr. Snape nodded,though he wasn't sure if it was because if the action or his words. Either way he was looking forward to sleeping besides his lover,even if it wasn't in the hotel room he had arranged. Percival could care less if they were stranded on a deserted island. As long as he had Newt by his side he was happy. Looking into Newt's sapphire eyes he brushed aside a stray hair that quickly returned to the spot. If they were alone he would shower kisses along that sinful neck before him. Earlier he had thought to make some privacy curtains and now he was wishing he had made some. Wishful thinking was all it was though. He wasn't at the point of their relationship where they were intimate beyond light kissing. Today was the first time Newt had even initiated a kiss. Taking things slowly didn’t bother him. He cherished every small victory. He still remembered the first time they held hands.  
After numerous failed flirting attempts he enlisted the help of Ms. Goldstein who suggested to take Newt to the zoo. He did just that. Newt admitted that he had odd feelings about zoos because he enjoyed looking at animals ,but hated the thought of animals being locked up. Assuring Newt that the animals here were well cared for allowed the magizoologist to freely marvel at the animals. When they saw the hippopotamus Newt recalled how he tracked down a Erumpent there,a story which he had read about in a report. With a smile he had guided Newt to a brick wall that when given the right password opened up to an extension of the zoo. This addition was luckily unharmed during Newt's previous adventure. He informed Newt that this was where the MACUSA kept the mythical creatures that were saved from smugglers until they could be returned. Tears had sprung from Newt's eyes at the large glassed areas that individually contained different creatures. Taking Newt's hand to comfort the crying man,Newt responded with a teary smile and thanks. Their hands had remained joined for the rest of the time they had spent there.  
"Sleep?" Newt asked,pulling him from fond memories.

Newt's heart was more than fluttering. If Percival moved to kiss him now he would melt. He knew Harry and Mr. Snape was there,still Percival had this ability to make it feel as if they were the only people in the world. They had to get to sleep before he did something embarrassing.  
"Umm. Goodnight everyone."  
"Goodnight! " Harry yawned.  
Mr. Snape nodded as he moved the mattress slightly away from Harry’s.  
" Is there something wrong? "  
"I simply perfer distance." Mr. Snape stated.  
"It's for the best. I am a restless sleeper."Harry yawned.  
"Okay." He said sitting on one end of his cot.  
"I'm going to turn off the light now."Percival said.  
"That is acceptable." Mr. Snape agreed as he settled on his own bed.  
As the light dimmed he watched Harry curl up and smile to himself. Now that it was almost pitch black he turned to face Percival, who's cot was up right next to his. He felt Percival's hand run through his hair. Scooting closer he could hear the steady beating of Percival's heart. Percival's heart always sounded so steady,it made him feel odd for not controlling his own racing heart. Everything Percival did made his heart race as if he'd ran a marathon. Percival's hand traveled from his hair to the side of his neck before coming to a rest on his back. Even in the dark he could see his lover's smile. Those smiles were so rare to see around the MACUSA building. So many times he would catch a glimpse of Percival stalking around the building with a look that said he'd rather be anywhere else besides surrounded by coworkers asking him questions. But when their eyes met his face would soften and the faintest of smiles would appear as if it were only for Newt to see.  
After their first official meeting a few days after the case mix up he had noticed those faint smiles,of course he hadn't known the meaning behind them. Newt always figured that Percival was being kind to him since he helped stop Grindelwald. Sure it was odd that at the time Mr. Graves was much kinder to him than with Queenie or Tina who had also helped in the Grindelwald incident. The stares he got from the man made him feel so awkward. He thought they were Mr. Graves’s way of telling him that he was keeping an eye on him so that no more of his magical creatures would escape. It took a long time with Queenie and Tina’s insistence that those looks weren't glares that he attempted to shyly smile back.  
"So much has changed " He thought.  
Fingers now ghosted over his back moving in small circles. The soothing motion repeated over and over drew him closer to sleep. Interlocking his fingers with Percival's free hand he closed his eyes.

 

Severus stood looking out at a starless sky. Illuminated by the Crescent moon his surroundings were covered in an eerie shadow. A bright light shone to his right. The light was blinding as he approached wand drawn ready to fight. Stepping through the light he found himself in the middle of a field. Wild plant life swayed in the breeze under a bright blue sky. Messy hair stood out among the grass. Replacing his wand at his side he followed the path towards the familiar messy mop of hair. Potter sat tossing pebbles into a shallow pond amongst the tall grass. Without uttering a word emerald green eyes were on him. The brightest smile was etched on potter's face as he stood up. In a flash he was enveloped in a tight hug. He didn't maneuver out of the embrace nor did he reciprocate the action.  
"Severus." Potter whispered.  
Slowly Potter released him. The young wizard now looked ill,face pale, and eyes losing their shine. Then all at once it wasn't Potter before him but his mother.  
"Sev...Severus. " She gasped for air.  
Her body was becoming limp and he braced her with all his strength. Dead weight forced him to kneel to the ground that was no longer a grassy field. Just from the dim lighted tiles below him he knew they were at his childhood home.  
"Severus."  
"I'm here."He said taking her hand.  
Frantically his mother was searching for him with her eyes. He tighten his grip ever so slightly to let her know he was there,still she searched for him.  
"I'm here."  
He knew she couldn't hear him. Knew she couldn't see him desperately trying to get her to calm down.  
"I...I'm."  
"Don't speak!" He hushed her.  
Her breathing was so ragged that she shook with each breath.  
"I..I'm sorry...Severus. " She whispered.  
In a second his mother slumped in his arms. She was gone.  
With start Severus sprung up from his dream. Silent tears rolled down his face. He was thankful the others had not woken. If anyone caught him crying he'd have to obliviate them. With the back of his sleeve he rid himself of the dreaded tears. It had been years since he had cried from haunting dreams. Calming his nerves he checked on the sleeping form of Harry. Harry's breathing appeared irregular and he reached out to press his hand against harry’s forehead.  
"Umm...nice." Harry mumbled in his sleep.  
"What am I doing?" He thought removing his touch. Glancing at the others who were fast asleep hands joined in which Severus thought would be highly uncomfortable. In the stillness he listened to the soft snores emitting from Mr. Graves. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to return to sleep he left the tent.

Harry was sitting at his usual seat for doubles potions. Ron and Hermione was snickering about something he didn't care about. He was far too busy watching their potions professor write instructions on the board. Eyes following those slender fingers as words appeared on the chalkboard.  
"Really Potter could you be more obvious?"Draco laughed,suddenly appearing besides him.  
"Shouldn't you be at your own side of the class?"He rolled his eyes.  
"You were the one who invited me to sit with you. I didn't sign up to witnessing you make eyes at my godfather."Draco playfully shoved.  
"Sod off!"He chuckled a little too loud.  
All eyes were on him now. Draco sat up straight pretending that he had no part in what just happened. He was about to tell Draco that the innocent act wouldn't work when Snape was glowering over him.  
"Mr. Potter?" Snape drawled with an arched eyebrow.  
"Sorry sir." He apologized.  
Those dark eyes lacked emotion as a hand was brought up. Expecting to be smacked in the face he readied himself. To his surprise Snape pressed a cool hand onto his forehead. Leaning into the touch he thought of how nice it was. Despite being in the crowded classroom he wanted to feel more of this touch. But the nice touch left him. Before he could protest bony fingers were wrapping around his neck. No longer was he in Hogwarts but at the Riddle's grave.  
"How weak you've become."Voldemort hissed. "You expect to defeat me? Your magical core is damaged. I don't even need to cast the Killing curse."  
He struggled to breathe under Voldemort's grip. All too quickly he was dropped and swallowed up by a dark void. A sharp pain made his ears ring. He couldn't see anything as he felt someone kick him. Again and again kicks connected with his head and stomach. He didn't know how to fight against the invisible attacker. Metallic taste of blood covered his tongue.  
"STOP!"  
"You're a filthy freak! No one is going to miss you when you're gone!" His Uncle's voice boomed.  
"Not so tough without that magic of yours ." His cousin's voice followed a punch to his face.  
Harry tried to curl up in means of protection,but it did nothing. Punches and kicks seemed to not stop. The onslaught of attacks was paired with taunts from his aunt. And then it stopped and he made out the figure of Snape coming to help him. His heart soared at the billowing robes.  
"Harry." Snape muttered.  
Before he could respond Voldemort appeared behind Snape.  
"So you were protecting the boy this entire time." Voldemort snarled. With an evil glint in his eyes he raised his wand and casted the killing curse. The light in Snape's eyes instantly dimmed.  
"NO!" He cried.  
Reaching out towards Snape his hand was stopped by voldemort hitting him the the cruciatus curse.

A blood curling scream woke Newt from his sleep. Acting quickly he cast limous to assessment what was going on. Harry laid screaming and thrashing about. Jumping up from his cot he went to console the young wizard. Wild limbs attacked as he tried to shake the boy awake.  
"Harry. Wake up."  
A fist connected with his face sending him back.  
"What's going on?"Percival asked.  
"I'm not sure." He said rubbing his face.  
Together they restrained Harry's failing arms still the boy didn't wake.  
"Harry. Wake up."  
"Mr. Potter you are dreaming." Percival added.  
Another scream launched from Harry. Whatever was happening in the dream must've been horrifying for the young man to sound so pained.  
"STOP! " Harry yelped.  
In a flash both Percival and himself were being tossed aside by a black blur. Thinking it was a dementor Newt raised his wand. Illuminating the area he saw Mr. Snape take their place besides Harry. He watched as the man navigated the wailing limbs to press a hand on Harry's forehead.  
"You are safe."He heard Mr. Snape whisper.  
Almost instantly Harry's limbs stilled. Mr. Snape kept whispering while guiding the limbs to rest back on the mattress.

At the first scream Severus thought his mind was messing with him. In a flurry he returned to the tent when he remembered Harry suffered from night terrors. Tearing the other two wizards off the terrified Gryffindor he had to bite back several comments. These two obviously hadn't dealt with this sort of situation before. Relief rushed over him when Harry relaxed under his touch.  
"You are safe." He whispered softly again and again.  
He was so close to getting Harry laid flat against the mattress when those emerald eyes shot open. The luminescent light allowed him to see new tears forming on Harry's face. Actively he pushed thoughts about his dream aside. And then all to sudden Harry leapt into his arms.  
"Severus." Harry bawled.  
"It's alright." He muttered.  
"I... you..Voldemort. ..he..he."  
There was no Voldemort here,they were safe from that monster. Still he knew dreams could be as terrifying as reality.  
"He killed you." Harry sobbed tightening his grip.  
"I'm here."He said tentatively placing his hands on Harry's back.  
Ragged breathing sent him into a panic. He wanted to runaway. Memories mixed with events from his dreams were pushing against his defences. He wouldn't give into the panic. Now was the time to reassure the ill man in his arms.  
"Harry."He spoke slowly and low. "The Dark Lord can't get us here. You're safe."  
"But."  
Harry's voice sounded so hoarse from the screaming. Tightening his embrace more he hushed the response. Severus didn't want to hear that sound. Rocking ever so slightly he hoped to lull the boy back to sleep. In the morning things would be better. Tomorrow he would scour the surroundings for the necessary antidotal ingredient. Two more days was all they had here and he was determined to be victorious.

Percival stayed on the ground watching the two wizards in front of him. Everything had happened so fast that now things were nearly in slow motion. As he moved closer to Newt he caught pieces of the two wizards conversation. The name Voldemort ,which Mr.Snape referred to as The Dark Lord didn't ring any bells. As far as he knew the only dark wizard wreaking havoc was Grindelwald. Perhaps it was a threat only in the United Kingdom. Tomorrow he would have to ask about it.  
"Newt are you alright?"He whispered.  
Newt still held a hand up to his cheek as he nodded. Newt flinched away as he tried to check his lover's face.  
"I...I'm fine."Newt stuttered refusing to look at him.  
Anger was bubbling up at the sight of Newt being hurt. Even in the barely lighted tent he could see a tint of purple between the fingers on Newt's cheek. Ill or not Mr. Potter had hurt his lover.  
"Percival. "Newt said grabbing onto his sleeve.  
Sapphire eyes stared at him through those unruly bangs. All those choice words he was about to spew at Mr. Potter caught in his throat. He was powerless to that look. Those pleading eyes telling him not to do anything. This was yet another thing that he loved about Newt. Newt was the only one who could ground him in times of stress or anger all it took was a look or a gesture for him to calm.  
Before Newt he was a silent ticking bomb. When he grew furious at news of an investigation gone wrong or a culprit escaping he'd have to lock himself up in his office before his temper unleashed his magic. Wandlessly he'd put up a silencing charm and proceed to wreck his office. Chairs tossed against the wall ,paper scattered, sometimes he'd accidentally set something on fire. And once he returned to being calm he'd fix everything ,straighten his tie and walk out as if he'd only gone into his office to check on something. The worst frustration came when he was discovered after it was uncovered that Grindelwald had been running around looking like him. He felt so humiliated for being captured by the dark wizard. So embittered by the fact that none of his coworkers had noticed the imposter the second he had gotten cleared by emergency personnel he stormed to his office. He was unable to unleash a fraction of his upset that time due to a meeting he had with the wizard who had revealed Grindelwald which led to his saving. Still internally stewing with his anger he had fixed the office and his appearance. A moment later in walked Mr. Newt Scamander. With head hung low the unfamiliar wizard entered. He was about to take some anger out on the man by demanding he stood up straight. He didn't get to speak as those sapphire eyes peered into his. Time had stopped as he took in the sight of Newt Scamander. He'd never laid eyes on anyone so gorgeous; brunette hair that held tints of red,bright eyes highlighted by freckled cheeks,and the most adorable smile. Percival still remembered how his anger had dissipated instantaneously when Newt spoke in a hushed tone. In that moment he had begun to fall for the soft spoken man.  
"I'm fine."Newt smiled ,bringing him back to the present.  
"Okay." He said taking Newt's hand.

Harry clung onto Snape as if his life depended on it. The black fabric he pressed his face into were already wet with his tears. The dream had felt so real. They always felt that way,still this time it hurt even more. He could handle the dreams if it was just him getting beaten by the Dursleys or the assault by Voldemort, they always showed up in his dreams. What frightened him the most was the heartache he felt when Snape's eyes had lost life. He had known this to be a real possibility. Snape didn't deserve risk his life for a imbecilic brat like him.  
"Snape."  
His throat felt raw. A single word irritated his tender his vocal cords. The comforting rocking stopped and Snape's hands departed from his back. He didn't want to be separated from him. Even though Voldemort wasn’t a threat to them in this time he wouldn't risk it. Snape was trying to move away so he tightened his grip.  
"Harry." That velvety voice whispered.  
"Don't. ..leave."He strained to speak.  
"Harry. "  
"No." He protested when he felt hands trying to push him away.  
Scooting even closer he was now on Snape's lap. Embarrassment be damned he needed to feel the man. Needed to know that he actually was here. Alive. Snape was alive. The man's heart beat was so loud now. Frantic thumping matched his own heart's rhythm. Fingers were now combing through his messy hair. No one had done this before. Hermione had once tried to brush his hair ,which did nothing. Touches so gentle were guiding his face away from Snape's chest. Compiling with the movement dark eyes were on him. Something inside was drawing him closer to Snape.  
"You're safe." Snape whispered.  
Harry watched those lips form the words. Safe. He was safe. In this position he felt more safe than he ever had in his life.  
"You need to go back to sleep."  
Watching those lips he nodded.  
"Good." Snape said before turning his head.  
Following the motion he realized that they weren't alone. Mr. Graves was looking worried at Newt, who was pressing a hand to his face.  
"Is Mr. Potter coherent?" Mr. Graves asked in a not too pleased tone.  
"I...I'm sorry. " He mumbled into Snape's chest.

"Are you alright Harry? "Newt asked.  
He watched Harry nod. His face was starting to heat up at the position the two wizards were in. It was very intimate with the younger wizard sitting on Mr. Snape's lap flushed against him like a Demiguise holding onto a branch.  
"Mr. Scamander would you get some water."  
"No problem. "He said.  
"Allow me."Percival said flicking his hand in the air.  
Wandlessly a cup flew into Percival's hand. It still amazed him how Percival could do these sort of things. Feeling like he had to do something he pressed his wand to the cup in Percival's hand and filled it with water.  
"Here you are."Percival said handing the cup to Mr. Snape.  
"Drink." Mr. Snape instructed to Harry.  
Newt turned away. He didn't like the feeling as if he were looking into a private moment. His face still stung from the punch. Without a mirror or accurate lighting he wouldn't be able to tell if his face was going to bruise. The punch wasn't intentional ,regardless Newt wasn't sure if he could prevent Percival from going after Harry if his face bruised. At times Percival could be as protective as a mother Occamy. If someone ever so much as bumped into him on accident and Percival was around to see it that person would find themselves helplessly floating on the ceiling or slammed into the nearby wall. Over the years Percival had gotten better at not causing such scenes and he'd gotten better at squeezing Percival's hand reassuringly to distract his lover from doing anything. Percival didn't have to worry about him.  
"Newt."  
He shied away from Percival's hand again. It was a habit he hadn't been able to get rid of. Percival would never hurt him, in fact he didn't believe anyone here would hurt him. It was the knowledge that Percival was still angry that was making him act this way. No matter how well anyone tried to hide it or how long they took to cool off he could still feel the negative emotion. The residual anger was like sizzling oil that he was too worried to get burnt by. Often he worried about saying or doing anything to set off anyone. Those fears doubled after dealing with an Obscurial for the second time. Credence. So much anger,sadness, and mistrust the boy had. He tried not to think about the crushing regret he felt for not saving him. Sometimes he would dream of a different ending to the story one where he had been able to help Credence. One where he had stopped things before it was too late and he took the boy with him and taught him of a better life.  
"We...we should go back to sleep."  
"Alright."Percival said.

  
"Could I..Sleep with you?"Potter asked.  
It was completely out of the question. A ludicrous idea. Severus had enough emotional affectionate sentiment for one evening. This position that they were still interlocked in was beyond anything he was comfortable with. For the life of him he couldn't understand he had allowed himself to be in this position with the-boy-who-is-his-student in his lap. Too close. They were too close to each other. He could feel the pounding of Potter's heart against him. Could smell the faint traces of the Hogwarts soap in his messy hair. Too close.  
"I don't think that is advisable."  
"Please."  
Those blasted emerald eyes. They were mesmerizing,it gave far too much power over him to their owner. And that bottom lip turning pinker as Potter bit nervously on it. Such actions should be a crime. He wouldn't let the Gryffindor know how such a look was starting to make his heart beat annoying. No he couldn't allow any of this to continue.  
"No." Using his strength he pushed Potter off his lap.  
"Please. I don't want to have another nightmare."  
"Sleeping with me would be a nightmare."He spoke low for emphasis.  
Potter started to pout. It was ridiculous to see Potter pouting because he refused to share a bed with the boy wonder. Who in the right mind would act this way? He was sure Potter wasn’t in a clear mind set. When tomorrow came he'd have to refer to his notes.  
"Go back to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."  
"Stay until I fall asleep?"  
He wanted to tell Potter that he was acting like an infant. Wanted to point out that his bed wasn't even five feet away from him. But instead he nodded. If anyone asked he'd say he was too tired to keep arguing. Inside he knew the truth that he needed this as much as Harry.  
Brightly, always brightly, Harry smiled and laid his head down. Awkwardly he sat on the mattress near the edge. Catching the other two's eyes the light was diminished once again. In the darkness Potter's hand took hold of his. He would allow it for now. Once the young wizard fell asleep he would return to his own bed.

Percival woke before the rest of the members of the tent. Considering the events of last night he wouldn't wake them. For a moment he stared at the sleeping form of Newt. Drool was pudding below his lover's open mouth. Hair matted to one side. He smiled at the disheveled look. Slowly he removed his hand from Newt's. The action caused Newt to turn on his side. In this new light he could see the purple shade on Newt's cheek. Gingerly he moved his finger trips over the bruise.  
"This shouldn't have happened. "He whispered almost inaudibly. "I'm sorry."  
For now he needed to breathe. Slipping out of the tent he was greeted by the bright early morning sun rising. Things hadn't gone as planned for this trip. He had hoped to watch the sunrise with Newt after a calming night in their hotel. Plans of taking in the island sights and not dealing with business gone out the door. He was a flexible person ,one had to be in his field, still he had counted on them being alone. Now they were dealing with a ravenous creature on the loose and a young man who was dying.  
"So much for romantic getaway." He said pulling out the small blue velvet jewelry box he had secretly carried around.

Black was the first thing that Harry saw when he opened his eyes. He was confused for a second before he recognized that he was staring at black fabric. The same black fabric worn by non other that Severus Snape. He'd expected Snape to return to his bed after he had fallen asleep ,apparently that didn't happen. The mattress was barely big enough to fix them. He was curled up facing Snape's chest and a hand was laid over him. Cozy was the word that came to mind. It was crazy how wonderful it felt to be laying with Snape like this. Lifting up his head his heart began to pound at the face of the man besides him. Snape looked years younger while asleep. There was no scowl or furled eyebrows on this sleeping face. Long dark hair cascaded over the man's cheek. Those lips weren't pulled into a thin line,they were parted ever so slightly. his heart was beating so loud he thought it would explode. And he wouldn't mind if it did. That was a morbid thought but pleasant sounding at this moment.  
"Handsome."He whispered as he moved to get a better look at the sleeping face.  
Snape was never conventionally handsome. The man didn't fit the prince charming look,but he did fill the tall dark and handsome motif in an about way. Snape was tall ,taller than him by only a few inches yet the way he stood straight felt like he could tower over a giant. Snape was dark though not in skin tone, the man was pale as a ghost at times. Snape was more dark in terms of mysterious and dark is what his wardrobe was composed of,he had never seen the man in anything but black. Those things made most people start up rumors. If they could see Snape like this they would change their tone. Handsome. That crooked long nose,that long hair,those dusky eyes,all that made Snape was handsome. Not to mention that low baritone voice that sent shivers up his spine each time it said his name.  
The more he thought the more his heart pounded. Shifting closer he stared at those lips. They were drawing him in. He wanted to kiss them. Snape's lips looked like they would be soft.  
"Gryffindor bravery don't fail me now." He thought leaning forward.  
Daringly he pressed his lips onto Snape's. They were soft. Butterflies danced in his stomach as he pulled away. Again. He wanted to kiss Snape again. Harry knew he couldn't risk it. If Snape caught him he'd be a dead man. Just because Snape was helping him didn't mean that he wouldn't be hexed for kissing him in his sleep. It wasn't as if he snogged the man senseless, although he wanted to. Snape would never snog him.  
"I have to stop thinking about snogging him."He mentally scolded himself.  
If he didn't stop thinking he would have another problem which he couldn't hide as easily as the kiss. He had to leave before it happened. Fortunately his smaller stature allowed him to wriggle out from Snape's hand without waking the man. Air. He needed fresh air to cool down. Out of the tent he flew. His heart was still beating a mile a minute and his lips tingled.  
"I can't believe I did that."  
Just ahead of him stood a barely lit Mr. Graves. He hadn't talked to the American much since they met. Taking a step closer Mr. Graves turned to face him.  
"Good morning."  
"Morning."He said awkwardly walking towards the man.  
"The others are asleep still?"  
"Yeah...they must be exhausted."  
"It was a draining experience." The American agreed moving something in his hand.  
"I'm sorry about last night."  
The motion stopped. With those hands stilled he could tell the object in Mr. Graves's hand was a small blue velvet box.  
"Do you always have nightmares like that?"  
"I do... I usually put up a silencing charm. I'll put one up tonight."  
"You should not. You can not waste your magic like that."  
"But."  
"It is dangerous. Mr. Snape would agree with me on this. Do not be concern about my or Newt's comfort."  
Mr. Graves was a kind person just like Newt said. Under all that stuffy business appearance was a caring soul.  
"I apologize for my own behavior last night." Mr. Graves sighed turning over the small box in his hand. "I am told that I get heated far too quickly."  
"It's my fault. I don't know what really happened before I woke up...is Newt okay he looked startled."  
"Why wouldn't he be startled? Wouldn't you be if you got punched in the face." The American raised his voice. The man closed his eyes and took a breath. "Forgive me. "  
"It's okay." He said with a small smile.  
"I shouldn’t have raised my voice."  
" You are just being protective of Newt. Besides I can take more than that. That wasn't even yelling. Weak sauce."  
"I'll have you know that many wizards and witches would soil themselves if I raised my voice at them" Mr. Graves said with a small smile.  
"You couldn't get that reaction out of me even if you tried. I'm sure Snape has told you how much of a trouble maker I am; it's his favorite past time."  
"He has warned me about you."  
"Has he told you about all my shenanigans? I tend to make a mess of things."  
"I think he said something along the lines of you being a magnet for trouble. Newt is the same way."  
"Really? "  
"He is. When we met he had just got through destroying a city. What else would you expect from someone carrying around a case filled with mythical creatures. I saw the aftermath of those creatures running around in the city. There was so much clean up and even more paperwork."  
"Magical creatures loose in the city?"  
"That wasn't the half of it. Apparently Newt got a No-Maj involved. It was in part due to the No-Maj that the creatures got out."  
"No-Maj?"  
" You call them muggles according to Newt. Such a strange name."  
"I may be bias but muggles sounds better than No-Maj."  
"Agree to disagree."  
"What is that box?" He asked unable to take looking at it without knowing.  
"This..."Mr. Graves smiled at the box. "This is the reason why I brought Newt here."  
"I thought you was here for the creature that almost ate you."  
"Newt is always going to places where creatures almost eat me." The American laughed. "My intentions don't always go alongside Newt's own plans. I brought him here for one reason and before I knew it we are climbing up a mountain in search for a creature he heard a rumor about."  
"Is that? What I think it is?"He said pointing to the box. He wanted to hear it out loud.  
"I do not know your stance on this issue nor do I care,but yes. This is a ring box."  
"You're going to propose? " He whispered.  
Mr. Graves nodded.  
"That's amazing!"  
"I didn't think you'd be so accepting. It's not exactly tolerated by others."  
"Who cares what others think. I wanna see it. Can I?" He asked jumping up and down.  
"Your enthusiasm is welcomed. But the others should be up soon. It will do no good to work you up too much." Mr. Graves asserted slipping the box back into his pocket.  
"I won't get worked up."

Newt stood between the tent flaps watching Harry and Percival chatting. After last night he was worried that if the two were left alone Harry would have a matching bruise on his face. Worries that appeared at the sight of both men missing from the tent were calmed when he saw the two. He had his wand out just incase. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he caught a few smiles and laughs. How could he intrude on a scene like this? It warmed his heart to see them together.Despite Percival's tough outer shell he was a very gentle man who loved children. Harry wasn’t exactly a child,still it brought up bittersweet memories.  
After the incident with Credence Percival had pulled some strings so Tina could adopt Credence's little sister Modesty. It was one of the most difficult things Percival ever had to do because of the prejudices against No-Majs. It wasn't something Percival had to do. The man could've walked away. Could've denied Tina involvement with the little girl. Newt was sure when they went to retrieve the girl Percival was going to obliterate her and toss her back on the street. Newt still remembered how the three of them cautiously approached the little girl and her eyes grew wide with tears when she saw Percival. Then she was hugging Percival and sobbing. In that moment he knew that the American wizard cared for children. In a hushed voice Percival had calmed the girl and guided her into Tina’s arms. "This is Ms. Goldstein. She'll protect you. She'll never harm you." Percival said. And then with a little help he removed the memories of Credence and the obscurus.

Severus woke to an empty bed. Potter's bed. Last night he had tried to remove his hand from Potter's grip to no avail. The boy wonder had an iron grip in his sleep. He had given up after contemplating sawing off his hand. The second he laid down Potter had curled up near him,a smile on his face. He hadn't shared a bed with anyone before. Surprising it wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought. This morning he had felt something he had never felt before. It was so warm being close to Potter. A pleasant warmth that was moving closer and closer. Then there was a light pressure on his lips and he wanted it to continue. But whatever it was moved away and the warmth around him disappeared. It had to be a dream. A strange dream.  
"Mr. Scamander. "He said noticing the magizoologist awkwardly standing near the tent opening.  
"Mr. Snape. "Mr. Scamander yelped,jumping up so high he thought the magizoologist had casted a levitation spell on himself.  
"What is going on?"  
"Please lower your voice." The man said frantically motioning.  
"What's wrong?" He whispered as he sprung from the bed.  
He hoped that the creature hadn't somehow broken through their barrier.  
"They're having a moment."  
Moving to standby the other wizard he watched Potter and Mr. Graves talking. His heart constricted at the scene for some odd reason. Mr. Scamander was looking at them with such a happy look. He wanted to snap at the wizard to get Mr. Graves away from Harry. Jealous. He had no reason to be jealous. If any one it should've been Mr. Scamander who was jealous after all the magizoologist was disgustingly in love with Mr. Graves.  
"We don't have time for this."  
"Please a little more."  
"And what will happen if Potter is unable to take his potion because of a delay in feeding?"  
It was a horrible thing to say. A borderline threat was not what this man needed first thing in the morning. Mr. Scamander's head tilted down as if he were a dog that just got scolded. He pressed a hand on the man's shoulder causing him to flinch.  
"Understand that we don't have much time."  
"Isn't that more reason to enjoy moments like this?"

Percival was enjoying the jovial look on Mr. Potter's face. He had been concerned when the young man had asked about the ring box. Oh he had heard it all from how two men dating was unnatural to threats of being cursed for acting on his 'gay tendencies '. Whatever nonsense Mr. Potter spewed he could handle it. One thing he wouldn't let this ill wizard do was confront Newt about it in hatred. Newt already had enough of people's criticism. Percival had to even let go some witches and wizards from MACUSA for their outright discrimination towards Newt when they started dating. Those members weren't missed at all ,they were spiteful and didn't work up to his standards anyway. Prejudices had been improving slowly in America,not quick enough for his proposal to be upheld in the states. He didn't care. All of his coworkers knew his love for Newt wasn't some fling. Newt was someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. No one was going to tell him otherwise,which is why he didn't expect the overexcited response of Mr. Potter.  
"I promise I won't tell him." Mr. Potter beamed.  
"You won't have to say a word. He'll might suspect something is up if you keep acting like that."He laughed.  
"I can't help it."  
"On second thought Newt might not catch on even if you did tell him. I love the man ,but he's oblivious. It took a long time for him to realise I was flirting with him. How we ended up together before I turned a thousand years old is nothing short of a miracle. "He laughed.  
"That's not very nice to say." Mr. Potter laughed.  
"He would admit it if you asked him."  
Percival was enjoying this conversation. For now he wouldn't tarnish the moment with questions about who this Dark Lord Voldemort was.  
"Do you think they are up yet?"  
"They should be."  
"Good I wanted to ask Newt about something."  
"What would that be?"He asked in a stern voice.  
"I swear I won't tell him."Mr. Potter said raising both his hands. "It's about mythical creatures. "  
"He would love that." He said noticing the other two wizards stepping out of the tent. "Speak of the devil."  
The bruising on Newt's face looked slightly better now,though it might have been the anger that had made it appear worse than it was. Mr. Snape looked pissed off. The man in black didn't say a word to them as he set up the cooking pot.  
"I guess he isn't a morning person." He mumbled.  
"I guess not." Mr. Potter chuckled. "I should go help him."

"Good morning Newt."Harry greeted as they passed each other.  
"Morning."  
He had to contain his enthusiasm about the proposal. Easier said than done. He felt like he could bounce off the walls from the news.  
"What has brought on this fervour Mr. Potter? " Snape asked.  
"Harry!" He insisted.  
"Harry."Snape drawled.  
The way Snape spoke his name reminded him of this morning. Instantly his face heated up. His heart was beginning to beat faster. That kiss. The proposal. He couldn't talk about either of them with Snape.  
"Your face is flushed."Snape stated moving closer. "Did you sleep alright?" The man asked placing a cool hand on his forehead.  
Snape's hand always felt so cool against his forehead. He leaned into the touch. More. He wanted more.  
"I did. Thank you for staying with me...Did you sleep okay?" He asked biting his bottom lip.  
"I managed a couple of hours." Snape said removing his hand.  
"Sorry."  
He was worrying about the kiss. Snape sounded a little angry. It had to be about the kiss. What else would it be? Harry knew he couldn't just ask Snape if he was mad about the kiss. He needed to talk to Newt about it.

Severus knew he was acting unlike himself. He refused to admit to himself that watching Harry and Mr. Graves laughing made him feel anything,especially jealousy. No he wasn't jealous at all. It would be foolish to think that Harry would only laugh or smile because if him. He couldn't make Harry happy, definitely not as happy as he was after the discussion with Mr. Graves. He couldn't do that. His job was not to make the boy happy it was to make sure he lived.  
"After we eat we will start the search." He said as he began to cook.  
"Sounds good." Harry said still biting his lip.  
"What is wrong Harry? "  
"Oh. I just thinking about something."  
For some reason Harry hadn't looked him in the face this entire time. He wondered if it was due to him sharing a bed last night. Even with Potter's insistence waking up to his ugly face must've made the younger sick. That was the only explanation that Potter would have left the bed so quickly in the morning. Perhaps Potter was nervous about telling him that last night was a mistake. Or Potter was concerned about finding the plant.  
"Fretting about it won't do anything."  
Big emerald eyes finally looked at him. There was an internal pull towards him. His hand found its way to Harry's unruly hair. Harry was coming in closer. His heart thumped unnaturally in his chest as emerald eyes held its gaze.  
"I will do everything I can to make sure that you'll live." He whispered.  
"I..."  
Thinking that this was making Harry uncomfortable he stepped back. The food was finished. Harry had to eat. They needed to find the plant. Whatever was going on between them was not something that they needed.  
"Eat." He said making a plate.  
"Snape."  
He couldn't stay besides Potter. His heart was acting too strange.  
"I need to check on something."  
"You're always checking on something. " Potter mumbled.  
"I shall return to give your potion."

Once again Newt watched Mr. Snape walk away from Harry. This was starting to become a bad habit. Or maybe it was just what the two did.  
"Everything alright?" Percival asked.  
"I'm worried about those two."  
"So am I. I still don't trust Mr. Snape."  
"Why?"He asked shocked.  
"I overheard them talking about a Dark Lord named Voldemort. That's what Mr. Potter's nightmare was about... Do you know anything about that?"  
Newt didn't know what to say. He'd never heard that name before. This Voldemort person must've been a threat to the two wizards in the future. The truth about Harry and Mr. Snape being from the future couldn't be talked about.  
"I have never heard about him."  
"I thought you might know. He could be some threat in the UK."  
"Percival. "He said taking his hand.  
He stared into his eyes. Now wasn't the time to let Percival's mind run wild with theories about the two. "You're not here to interrogate them. I'm not worried about their reasons for being here."  
"But aren't you concerned about his damaged magical core? "  
"I do worry about that,but Mr. Snape will take care of it. I know he will." It hurt to think that Harry was dying and they couldn't do a thing. "We shouldn't worry about how they got into their situation. We should focus on helping them."  
"What if we can't."Percival whispered.  
He hadn't heard Percival sound so down hearted before.  
"We can."

Harry wasn't sure if he should interrupt Newt and Mr. Graves talk. It looked serious,but he needed company. This was the second time Snape had walked away from him leaving him with a lonely feeling. Rude or not he needed to talk to someone before he started to cry. So he loaded up two platefuls and brought it to the couple.  
"Breakfast?"  
"Harry you didn't have to do that."Newt said dropping Percival's hands to grab the plates from him.  
"Will you join us?" Mr. Graves offered.  
He swore there were tears in the American's eyes. His heart lurched at the possibility of him interrupting a serious moment.  
"Are you sure?"  
"I insist." Mr. Graves waved his hand in the air and a third plate of food appeared. "Next time all four of us can enjoy a meal together. "  
"I wish he would."  
"I'll make it my mission to drag him along."Mr. Graves smiled.  
"Good luck with that. Even if you managed to tie him up he would escape." He said playing with his food. "Lately he can't get away from me quick enough."  
"Don't think that way."Newt said.  
"It's the truth. And it's my fault."  
"What makes you say that?" Mr. Graves asked.  
His face started to blush. He hadn't planned on telling Mr. Graves about the kiss. It had to be said. Maybe Mr. Graves would give him a different point of view. Or maybe the American was like Snape and get angry.  
"I..."He stilled his fork. "You both have to promise not to say anything... or laugh! Definitely no laughing. " He spoke holding out his fork like it was his wand.  
"We promise not to say a word."Newt said.  
"And we wouldn't laugh at you." Mr. Graves added.  
"Well this morning I... ikissedhim."  
"Really?"Newt brightly smiled.  
"It justhappened like Idon'tknow what..."  
"Time out." Mr. Gave said forming a t shape with his hands. "I can only make out every third word."  
"Really?"Newt asked.  
"You can understand everything he's saying?"  
"Perfectly."  
"I will speak slower." He said over his racing heart.  
It made him so happy that Newt could understand his rapid speech and that Mr. Graves was putting in an effort to listen. This is what he needed.  
"Please start from the beginning."  
"Okay...ummm. Well this morning I woke up and he was there...and he looked so...so good looking."He said covering his face with his hands. He waited for the laughing ,but when none came he continued. "So I sort of... kissed him. I thought he was still sleeping ,but maybe he wasn't and now he's mad at me."  
"Why would he be mad?"Newt asked.  
"You're crazy to think he wouldn't be mad. He hates me."  
"I don't think someone who hated you would go up a mountain to find a cure for you."Mr. Graves said.  
"Then explain why he runs away at any given chance." He said stuffing a fork full in his mouth.  
"Speaking as a stubborn man ,our actions don't always match up with our feelings."  
"Snape is more than stubborn."He mumbled before taking another bite.  
"That may be true,still he cares for you. If he is aware about the kiss he might be trying to sort out his own feelings."  
Feelings? Harry didn't know what these two were talking about. Snape’s only feelings for him was hatred that had calmed to a dislike. Snape couldn't care for him in the same way he was realising that he cared for the man. There was far too much distance between them. Everything from their age to their personalities added to the distance.  
"You two should be laughing at me."He said. "If I told my friends I kissed him they would laugh."  
"No one should laugh at another person's feelings."Newt said with a sweet smile.  
"But... I mean... they wouldn't accept my feelings. He wouldn't accept them."  
"You don't know that."  
"I do. My friends would say that he's too old or make fun of his looks. And he... he would just laugh at my face and say that I'm an annoying prat." Tears were streaming down his face. Why? Harry couldn't understand why he had fallen for Severus Snape.

  
Percival's heart crumbled at the sight of the young wizard bursting into tears. Love was the hardest thing a person could go through. Love even in its infant stage could make someone feel on top of the world and easily break hearts. This young man was clearly dealing with a love that stemmed from mixed emotions building up. Love was never easy ,even more so for those who dared to love someone of their own gender. Percival couldn't imagine how Mr. Potter was dealing with such strong feelings in a time that his life was running out. As much as any of them didn't want to think about it he couldn't turn a blind eye to it. And he was sure Mr. Snape was more concern than anyone.  
Without a word he brought the crying wizard into his arms. Newt joined in so they both held Mr. Potter in a tight embrace. He cried. Percival was sure that they were all crying. Their hug grew tighter as he interlocked his fingers with Newt's hand that was resting on Mr. Potter's back.

Severus found himself sitting along a small stream. He watched the sliver of water move through the pebbles. This sight should've been calming ,yet it did nothing for his racing thoughts. He wasn't even aware of how far he had gone from the campsite. His thoughts kept lingering on Harry.  
"This has to stop."  
Time was running out. Finding that plant had to be his primary concern.  
"I should return."He said to no one as he stood up.  
Retracing his steps he reentered the barrier around the campsite. Finding a portion of breakfast laid out for him he contemplated on whether to eat it or not. None of the members of camp were out in the open. The dishes he could tell were spelled clean. Cautiously he approached the meal.  
"Ever the paranoid type Mr. Snape." Mr. Graves said emerging from the tent. "I casted a warming spell on it a few seconds ago."  
"Where are the other two?"  
"Taking their walk."  
"You shouldn't have let them go!"  
"They're nearby."  
"Imbecile!" He growled. "Potter needs to take his potion."  
"They will be back soon."  
"Soon is not enough! If we wait to long...." He didn't want to finish that sentence. "Did he eat?"  
"He did. You should eat as well."  
"How can I eat when you let Potter go gallivanting?"  
"Newt is with him."  
"Is that suppose to comfort me?" He demanded.  
"Yes. Eat. Your brilliant brain obviously needs the energy." Mr. Graves said thrusting the plate into his hand.

Newt walked side by side with Harry near the barrier of the campsite. Percival suggested that they go for a short walk so they could calm down and rid themselves of excess tears. Percival wasn't an ugly crier like he was. Newt knew he looked like a wreck as he did after every crying session; red eyes,stuffy nose, tear stained cheeks,and flushed face. Percival was lucky to not have any of that. Seconds after breaking away from the hug it looked as if his lover hadn't cried at all. Harry was not as ragged as he was, only puffy under eyes.  
"Thank you." Harry said suddenly stopping. "I think I'm ready to go back.”  
"Okay." He smiled. He was so sure that he still looked like a mess,but if Harry was ready to go they would go. "Harry..."  
"Yes?"  
"I just wanted to say that wizards live a much longer life than muggles.... what I'm saying is that age and other things shouldn't matter... I mean." He was messing this all up. "You can't live your life doubting that things will work out.... You have to go for it while you can. It may not always end up the way you wanted it to or planned,but you won't have to live with the regret of not trying.... life is too short for what ifs."  
"Thank you." Harry smiled. "You two have been a big help. You'd make great parents."  
Newt took a mental step back at the compliment. He'd imagine being by Percival's side doing the same things over and over in a content life. He hadn't thought about kids,well not as much after Credence. Those memories of the hopeless boy hung near his heart. Still it wasn't difficult to see himself and Percival raising a child together.  
"If I had a son I would hope he was as brave as you."

When the surrounding started to blur Harry knew they had to go back. He wasn't ready to go back. He'd never be ready to go back and face Snape. But they had to go back.  
"Harry hold on to me."Newt said in a concerned tone.  
The ground felt so unsteady beneath his feet. Clinging to Newt they continued down the straight path. Hot. His skin felt too hot. It was increasingly becoming unbearable. Nonexistent sweat made his clothes cling uncomfortably to his body.  
"Hot. " He strained to warn Newt.  
"Hold on."Newt said pulling out his wand.  
Harry closed his eyes as the feather light spell was casted over him. Tired. He couldn't take the feeling of the world spinning anymore. Shutting his eyes even tighter he let Newt move his traitorous body. He could tell he was now laying on Newt's back. With a light lift Newt's hands secured him in place. And then they were running so fast that a breeze flowed through his hair. Holding on he thought about Snape.

Mr. Snape was being more difficult this morning than necessary. Newt could take care of Mr. Potter. The two had gone on a short walk, which he instructed not to stray away from the edges of the campsites barrier. until they returned he had to keep Mr. Snape from seeing Mr. Potter in a distraught state.  
"It's a lovely day. "He said,unsure of how to distract the man.  
"You're attempts at small talk is unwelcomed. Where is Harry?"  
It was the first time he heard the man use his companions first name.  
"Surely you are not at the age where you'd forget what I told you just a moment ago." He remarked.  
"I have explicitly told You that Harry needs his potion." Mr. Snape snarled.  
"Percival!"He heard Newt's voice ring out.  
They both ran towards the sound. He could see Newt running at full speed carrying Mr. Potter on his back. Newt was rightfully frightened. They all were. Mr. Snape all but yanked the ailing wizard off Newt's back. The young wizard looked far more pained than when they had first met. Now in the grasps of his companion the young man tried to smile through the pain.  
"This is what I get for leaving him with you people! " Mr. Snape snapped.  
"Not....their... fault..." Mr. Potter wheezed.  
Percival wanted to do something. Do anything to help Mr. Potter who was shivering despite the heat. There wasn't anything he could do but let Mr. Snape do what he could.

"It most certainly Is their fault." Severus Growled.  
It had been a huge mistake to leave Harry with them. He couldn't trust these strangers. Looking at Harry's pained face was making his anger rise. The shivering was not a good sign. Even with such a high body temperature the ridiculous Gryffindor was smiling at him. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the vial.  
"Severus..." Harry whispered while he uncorked the vial.  
"Stop talking!" He commanded.  
Holding Harry's head still he tilted the contents if the vial into his mouth. It took a while for the shivering to stop. What was only a minute or so felt like an eternity as he waited for the symptoms to ease.  
"I'm fine now." Harry said.  
"Don't just stand there you dolts go get him some water!" He ordered,sending the two away.  
"You are too hard on them."  
"You're never allowed to go on walks again." He whispered.  
Severus didn't know how much more of this his heart could take. These potions wouldn't last forever. The plant was their only option. Time was running out. He couldn't stay here with Harry’s head resting against his shoulder. There wasn't enough time to reassure himself that the idiotic prat was going to be okay.

"Don't you ever do something like this again!" Snape sounded as if he were going to cry. Harry knew that was impossible. Severus Snape was a man who scowled, snarled,smirked, spoke in insults and sarcasm, not cry. Snape wouldn't cry for him.  
"Here."Newt huffed handing him a cup of water.  
With shaky hands he gripped the cup. Cool water couldn't heal him the way the potion did or comfort him like Snape's touch. Still he drank the offered water.  
"Thank you."  
"I'm sorry."  
"It's not your fault." He shot a look to Snape so the man didn't say a word. "It's my fault. "  
He felt Snape stiff at his words. It was the truth.  
"Don't say such thing." Newt said.  
He shook his head. There was no sense in arguing this. It was his foolishness that made him ill. No one should feel sorry for his own mistakes.  
"Shouldn't we be looking for that plant?"  
"Will you be alright to search?" Mr. Graves asked.  
"Yes."  
As much as he didn't want to leave Snape's side they had to search.

"We will assist you in any way possible." Percival asserted.  
"Great." Mr. Potter said standing up. "I've wasted enough of everyone's time."  
The young man had mumbled the last part but it was clear that all heard it.  
"If you give me a copy of your sketch I can go ahead."  
Mr. Snape responded with a glare.  
"You may not trust us,we are still strangers, but we can help. We wouldn't intentionally harm him. Let us help."  
He stood there in silence. Arm outstretched he waited. Eyes almost far too dark to be human held his gaze. He would not waver in his stance. Percival was prepared to out stubborn this man. This man's stubbornness wasn't going to help Mr. Potter. Remaining motionless he watched Mr. Snape produce a wand. Neither Newt or Mr. Potter made a move. The old tattered notebook soon appeared in Mr. Snape's other hand. With a wave of the wand a copy of the sketch was made.  
"Thank you."He said taking the parchment.  
"We will split when we get towards the area where it is rumored to grow." Mr. Snape said before taking off.


	3. Part 3

The three of them followed after Mr. Snape. Newt trailed besides Harry. He wouldn't speak of the guilt he had felt when Harry had become so weak under his watch. Harry showed no signs of his ailment now as they moved through the winding path.  
Past various looming trees and bushes that held flowers in their foliage the sped. Each of them had to be mindful of their footing as the path thinned. No words were spoken until they reached a tall standing rock wall.  
"It should grow over this wall." Mr. Snape called out.  
"I will go ahead." He declared.  
Up he went. Protruding rocks acting like natural stairs he pulled himself up the rocky sideway. Using a medium rock as a seat he flipped his legs over the edge. Years of traveling in search of mythical creatures made him use to doing things like this. Standing on the tips of his toes he reached for the last protruding rock. One more pull up and he reached the top. The view from up here was breathtaking both due to its beauty and his efforts to see it.

Severus watched the magizoologist climb up the rocky terrain. He worried that Potter wouldn't be able to manage such strenuous climb. Something so taxing could be bypassed with a flick of a wand. Right now he was mentally tetering on a thin line. On one hand he didn't want Potter to overexert himself with the climb. On the other hand he didn't trust using any magic on him right now. Potter's ailment was not improving.  
"What are we doing standing around?" Potter asked moving past him. "Last one there is an earwax flavored jelly bean."  
"How can he act so positive? " He thought out loud.  
"He's a very strong individual. Watching him makes you believe that he can defeat the odds. Of course I don't need to tell you something you already know." Mr. Graves said tapping him on the shoulder.  
He chose not to comment on the friendly gesture.  
"Thank you." The American said.  
"For what?" He asked not taking his eyes off Potter.  
"For letting us help you. I know how hard it can be to accept a hand,especially when you feel that it's all on your shoulders. It takes a very strong person to let others help them.... when it comes to people we care about pride has to be set aside."  
"Hurry up you slowpokes!"Potter yelled, sitting on the same rock Mr. Scamander had earlier.  
"We better hurry." Mr. Graves said with another pat to his shoulder.

"Wait." Mr. Snape said digging through his bag and producing a small vial.  
The vial held a beautiful purple mixture. He was sure that the glass was spelled so it wouldn't be damaged if dropped. Mr. Snape stared at the tiny vial before holding it out to him.  
"You're giving me this?"  
"Against my better judgement I am. What happened today cannot happen again. If there comes a time where Harry needs his potion and I'm unable to provide it you must give it to him. He must be fed prior to taking it and give him water afterwards to make sure it all goes down. "  
"You trust me with this?"  
He was beyond shocked at this sign of trust. Percival didn't think the man in black would ever get to the point where he would show anything aside of suspicion towards him.  
"It will be somewhat of a comfort to know that if anything were to happen to me that you would be able to act in my place."  
"You have my word that I will care for him if it comes to that."

Harry watched at the small forms of Snape and Mr. Graves. Looking over his shoulder while climbing so high wasn't the best idea. His hands started to sweat from the height. Turning back towards the rocky wall he gripped tighter. Taking deep breaths he focused on the task at hand.  
"You're almost there." Newt called from above. "Place your foot on that last rock and I can help pull you up."  
Slowly he scooted towards the mentioned rock. Once his feet felt balanced enough he took Newt's hand. With a strong yank his torso met with the edge. Newt quickly moved to pull the rest of him up. Harry was amazed that Newt had made the difficult climb alone.  
"I...should've....brought my broom."He panted.  
"That would be helpful. "Newt agreed. "You fly a lot?"  
"Only...only for Quidditch."He said still catching his breath.  
"Really? What position?" Newt asked handing him a cup of water.  
"Seeker for Gryffindor." He smiled. "Did you play?"  
"I played a little as a chaser for Hufflepuff."  
" We should play together."  
"I'd like that."  
"I'd could gather a small group of people! Draco is always looking for an excuse to challenge me, he's a decent seeker. We have a tournament coming up soon..."  
He paused noticing Newt's smile. Talking about Quidditch got him so excited that he forgotten that he wasn't from this time. After they got the plant he would have to say goodbye to Newt and Mr. Graves. Being from the future he knew they would meet again. They wouldn't be able to play Quidditch at Hogwarts all together. He couldn't introduce them to his friends.  
"They should hurry up." He said.  
"Harry."  
"I'm okay."  
Taking another sip of water he watched Snape reach the edge effortlessly. Sometimes it seemed like Snape could do anything.  
"Looks like Mr. Graves lost the race."He said as Snape helped the American up.  
"I went easy on him."Mr. Graves said pointing to Snape.  
"Do not create a tale to blame your shortcomings on." Snape smirked.  
"Where does the plant grow?"Newt asked.  
"There should be an area with small pools of water, that's where they were rumored to grow. "  
"Alright. Newt and I will search to the right."  
"We will regroup here. Do not get lost."  
"Same goes for you."

With the sketch and Newt in hand Percival separated from the others. They walked in a semi quick pace checking the greenery along the way. Each shrub, sprout or other plant life was compared to the image on the parchment. Further and further they moved into the unknown. They stopped at a large tree that had been split into. Newt paid special attention to the damaged tree. He stood by as Newt ran his fingers around the twisted bark.  
"This might be the work of that creature we saw yesterday."  
"Do you think it's here?" He asked pulling out his wand.  
"I can tell this was made recently, but I don't know how long ago. If I knew more about it."  
"We'll be cautious."He said giving Newt's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Stepping through the split of the tree they continued on their way. Newt was now even more aware of his surroundings. There was more evidence of the creature as they walked. Large scratches decorated several trees. Newt suspected that the injury from harry’s spell had furthered the creatures agitation. The more he looked at the markings he noticed that not all were recent. There were deep gashes some trees that have been healed over. Something wasn't right.  
"What did the locals tell you about this creature?" Percival asked moving between checking the sketch and their surroundings.  
He thought back to the rumors he had heard about the creature. The information readily came to him as if he were reading it.  
"They said it was a large reptilian creature that inhabitants caves and pools of water. And that it has shapeshifting abilities"  
"Shapeshifts? Into what?"  
"Small lizards, dragons and ...seductive women."  
"At least we don't have to worry about that last one." Percival chuckled. "Anything else?"  
"They told me that if there's foam on the surface of the pond's water that means that's the creature's home."

The surroundings were starting to feel familiar as they walked. Severus was about seventy percent sure that the pools of water was this way. When he'd come here during his masters in potions the pools had dried up. The canopy of trees had remained the same.  
"Are we heading the right way?" Potter asked.  
"See that turned over tree?" He said pointing a little ahead. "I recall the pools being beyond it."  
"Then let's speed it up." Potter said almost running past him.  
He followed after him towards the fallen tree. Harry looked so free running against the backdrop of the lush greenery. The image was one he hoped to hold in his mind forever. If only he could enjoy moments like this without reality crushing in.

"Come on." Harry laughed as he slid off the fallen tree.  
Snape was right. He now stood facing a wide area covered with pools of water. The small pools appeared to be in some sort of formation connecting into a larger pool. So enamored by the sight he didn't see the branch by his feet. Taking a step forward he tripped. He was caught by Snape. The loud beating of his heart wouldn't settle no matter what he did. It was because of the kiss. Now when their eyes met he only thought of that kiss.  
"We found it." Snape whispered.  
"Yeah." He said straightening himself.  
"I never got to see it this way." Snape said moving closer to one of the pools of water. "This whole area was dead when I came here."  
Kneeling down he joined Snape by the small pool. He reached out to touch the water, but Snape stopped his hand.  
"Don't touch it."  
"Sorry."  
"We need to be cautious."  
Nodding he stood back up. The plant that they needed was so close. Out looking the foamed surface of the large pool he knew that this was it.

Percival was on edge. The destruction that was left in the wake of the creature increasingly grew as they continued. He could tell Newt was trying to figure out why the creature had done this. It was difficult to keep to the task of searching for the plant when he felt at any minute they could be attacked.  
"We should go back."  
Newt mustn't have heard him as the magizoologist kept walking. Percival was sure that there wasn't anything up ahead. The tree covering had thinned out where he could see only the open sky.  
"Newt."He called again.  
Newt was walking faster. He couldn't understand it there was nothing in front of them. Fear gripped him once he noticed Newt quickly approaching the end of the cliff.  
"NEWT!"  
Snatching Newt's arm he prevented the love of his life from dropping to his death. With all of his strength, he pulled Newt back. The force caused him to fall back on solid ground with Newt landing on top of him.  
"What the Fuck was that!"

Newt was confused. Percival had never cussed at him before. He had no idea what had happened or why they were on the ground. He had been so lost in thought about the creature.  
"Don't you Fucking do that ever again!" Percival said holding Newt's face his hands.  
Even though he didn't know what Percival was talking about he nodded. Tears streamed down Percival's face.  
"Percival?"  
"Let's go back."  
A single drop of rain landed on his forehead. Curiously the sky remained bright and sunny as more drops fell.  
"Percival!" He said with a sudden realization. "We have to set get back!"  
Pulling Percival by the hand he began to run.  
"Newt!"  
"Hurry I think they are in trouble!"

Severus rolled up his sleeves. According to his notes the plant grew around these pools,but he had scoured the surrounding areas with Harry and they couldn't find anything resembling the plant. So now he stood overlooking the large pool rolling up the leg of his pants. He was taking a chance entering the water to search for the plant. Removing his shoes and spelling himself cleaned he hoped to contaminate the water as little as possible  
"Are you sure about this?"Potter asked taking his shoes.  
"It has to be here."  
He tugged off his bag handing it Harry. He wouldn't look at those emerald eyes. Steadily he stepped into the pool. Cold water engulfed his leg up to his knees. It felt so relaxing in this heat. If he wasn't unsure of the dangers he'd let Harry join him. The clear water gave off warped images of his legs as he moved deeper in. Water rested just below his chest now. A shimmer in the water caught his eye. He stilled his movements so he could see what it was. Below him he could see dark shimmering petals. Taking a deep breath he submerged himself into the water. He couldn't make out too much details asidfromthe basic shape of the plant. It's long twisted stem and multi petaled pods greatly resembled his sketch. Returning to the surface he felt confident that he had found what they came here for.  
"Do you see it?"Potter called out.  
"I believe so."  
Taking out his wand he was prepared to spell the plant free from its waterbed. A loud growl shook the ground. Ripples in the water marked the approach of the creature that had attacked them before. He wouldn't back down now that they were so close. Diving back down he felt for the plants roots. Using his wand to illuminate the darker and deeper recesses he followed the roots further down. A sudden tremor made what little footing he had falter. Attempting to stand he realized that his foot was caught in a small crevice.

Harry watched the water nervously as the Growling got louder. Snape was taking too long under water. The ground shook again. Across from him large reptilian eyes stared at him. Pulling out his wand he was ready to fight the large reptile. A gasp for air caught his attention. Snape's head was barely poking out of the water. With the large stomp from the creature the water in the pools parted and crashed.  
"SNAPE! "He yelled making a run for the water.  
"Don't!" Snape said before the water swallowed him up.  
He wouldn't listen this time. Flinging a spell at the creature the thrashing water stopped. Quickly he swam to where he could see Snape's head bobbing in the water.  
"Come on."He said taking ahold of the man's hand.  
The creature roared and the water began swishing back and forth.  
"Get the plant!"Snape choked out.  
"No."  
"I am stuck. Get the plant!"  
A long scaled tail whipped the water beside them. Raising his wand he shot the slicing spell. It missed.  
"Harry stop!" Newt's voice shrilled.

Percival lept into action at the sight of the creature attacking the two floating bodies. Flinging spells left and right he hoped to lure away the creature. Acting as a distraction allowed Newt to go after the others. A wild tail lashed out at him. Dogging it he flung another stunning spell. This all could end with one swift spell, but he knew Newt wouldn't forgive him if he harmed the giant mythical lizard. Stunning spells were having no real effects. Dodging another attack he tried for a stronger stunning spell.

Newt swam out into the large pool of water. Harry was desperately trying to keep Mr. Snape's head from slipping under.  
"What's wrong?"  
"He says he's stuck."Harry struggled in the rough water.  
"Get him out of here!" Mr. Snape snapped.  
"No!"Harry shouted.  
"Harry I got this."He said before diving into the water.  
Mr. Snape's wand was still illuminating the waters. He could see the man's foot wedged sideways between two jagged rocks. Air was restricting in his lungs. He hadn't taken in enough air to do much more than assessing the situation. Breaking through the water's surface he caught Harry's worried eyes.  
"I can get him out. Harry please get out of here."  
"I... won't...leave him."  
Harry's words came out breathless. Newt knew he had to do something quick. Connecting eyes with Mr. Snape he grabbed a hold of Harry's waist. With a tight grip he pulled the ailing boy through the water. Tired limbs lashed out at him. He kept going. Harry's hits grew weaker and weaker. Once he got Harry out of the water he spelled him I place. With Percival dealing with the creature he couldn't let Harry do any more harm to himself. Turning around he made his way back to Mr. Snape.  
"I'll get you out."  
"No. Get the plant."  
"I have to save you."  
"My life isn't the one you should save! Get that plant!"  
Newt glanced between Harry lying on the ground and Percival trying to contain the creature. The rough water was steadily rising. Taking the deepest beat possible he dove into the water. The waves tossed him about making it difficult to steady himself. He couldn't do wandless or wordless magic strong enough. And under the water he couldn't manually free the foot. Carefully he pointed his wand at the rocks entrapping Mr. Snape's foot. Using up his air supplies he spoke the spell. Water rushing into his mouth as he spoke. One rock gave way and he yanked it free. A hand pulled him up. Spewing the water he swallowed Newt took in air.

"You... Mr. Scamander. ..are a complete imbecile. " Severus grunted as he trudged through the water holding onto the magizoologist. He was exhausted and pain shot up his leg with each movement.  
"Couldn't leave you to die." Mr. Scamander said grabbing his hand pulling it over his shoulder.  
Leaning more on the other they proceeded through the water. Crawling out of the pool the usual timid man ran off to join Mr. Graves.

The creature wasn't letting up or yielding to his spells. Eyes trained on the threat in front of him he didn't notice Newt until he was beside him. He had to do something.  
"Give me your hand."  
Newt's hand held onto his. Percival knew this was risky he had only managed to combine magic with Newt once before. It had been a complete accident while they faced off with a rabid animal. The endeavor had been so draining they hadn't attempted it again. This was life and death so he wouldn't hold back.  
"I love you." He said.  
He focused on his magic feeling it flow to his fingertips. Eyes not straining from the creature he felt his magic reach out to Newt's. Like their clasped hands he felt the tug of his magic intertwine. Together they lifted their wands and cast the stunning spell. Instantly the creature froze.  
"It won't last. We need to leave."  
With their magic still crackling between their hands they dared to attempt another feat. Grabbing a hold of Mr. Snape and Newt holding Mr. Potter he imagined their campsite in his mind. With a sensation of everyone pulling away he held tighter. Their surroundings tugged and twisted until it settled.  
"We did it." Newt smiled.

Harry had no idea what happened. One second they were being attacked by the enormous reptilian then they were back at the campsite. His mind ached and his limbs details so heavy. All that didn't matter when he noticed the sate of everyone else. All three of them looked disheveled. Newt still held a faint smile despite being drenched and panting. Mr. Graves was the dryest of them all ,but was covered in dirt and his fine clothing now had several tears. As Mr. Graves helped Newt back into the tent he gazed at Snape.  
Snape was soaked to the bone, clothing clinging to his form. It would've been a rather attractive sight if it weren't for his face looking completely worn out and the injured leg.Snape's left leg looked horribly twisted and scraped up, blood flowing over bruised skin.  
"Your leg."He said moving closer to Snape.  
"It's fine."  
"How can you say that?"He asked starting to dig through Snape's bag looking for something to heal the injury.  
"You don't need to do that."  
"We have to heal it."  
"I may not be a medi-wizard but I have enough experience to take care of this."Snape said holding out his wand facing his twisted limb.  
With a muttered spell the limb twisted with a frightful crack. Harry couldn't stand the painful expression on Snape's face.  
"I should go back."  
Harry was stunned. How could Snape think about going back now? They all had barely escaped.  
"You can't be serious."  
"I need to get that plant."  
"You need to rest!" He said pressing his hand on the injured limb causing Snape to wince.  
"It was foolish to leave without it."  
"It was the only option."  
"No it wasn't. "  
"We wouldn't leave without you. I..." He stuttered as he gazed into those eyes. "I wouldn't know what to do without you."  
"Harry.."  
"No."  
He didn't want to hear anymore. Watching Snape drowning frightened him. How could this man disregard his life so easily. He was tired of losing people he loved. He loved Snape so much that even the thought of him being hurt made his eyes tear up. Truly he thought Snape was going to die in that water.  
"I need to go back!"Snape almost bellowed.  
"Not now. You're injured."He cried.  
"You need that plant."  
"What I need is you."  
Before Snape could respond he pressed his lips to his. Leaning into the kiss he poured all his love into the action. Snape needed to know that he had to stay here. Needed to know that he loved him too much to go off on his own.

A familiar warmth pressed onto his lips. Severus couldn't understand that Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, was kissing him. He knew he should pull away. Harry would never kiss him,yet he could feel the young man leaning into the kiss. He couldn't let this continue. Gently he tore Harry off of him. Emerald eyes slowly opened. Staring at those eyes and red lips his racing heart couldn't go ignored. Reaching out he removed those awful warped glasses. Those eyes looked far more stunning without their glassed barrier. Tilting his head he returned to those sinful lips.  
This was wrong,but he couldn't hold back any longer. Their joined lips felt so hot. He closed his eyes feeling the energy around them surge. It felt as though his magic was extending towards Harry's. Hands were slipping into his hair. His own hands maneuvered through that unruly hair as the kiss deepened.

Harry's heart was soaring. Everything felt so nice. He wanted more. Mindful of Severus's leg he rearranged their position so he now was straddling the man. Despite both of their clothes still being wet he felt so hot. His skin was on fire. It was a pleasant heat. More he wanted more. Shifting his hands from the dark strands of hair down the man's neck he clasped the shirt collar. He didn't know what he was doing. Never in his life had he been like this with another person. He had only kissed Cho when he had tried to deny his sexual orientation. The kiss with Cho had felt awkward. This didn't feel awkward it felt right. Being in Severus's arms snogging was exactly where he wanted to be. His hands fumbled with buttons on Severus's damp shirt. All too quickly their lips parted.

"No." He panted.  
Severus's heart was beating a mile a minute. As much as his body enjoyed the sensation his mind berated him from letting it from going as far as it had. Logic told him that Harry’s uncharacteristically actions were due to residual adrenaline from their near death experience.  
Harry laid his head against his chest. He listened to the equally ragged breathing. Coming down from the high his mind told him that Harry should be looked over. During the ordeal the Gryffindor not only idiotically jump into the water but casted a few spells. It was dangerous for Harry to cast spells in his condition.  
"How are you feeling?" He asked when he was sure his voice sounded normal.  
"Like my heart is going to burst out of my chest."  
Worried he yanked the young man off him .  
"In a good way." The-boy-who-lives-to-worry-him smiled.  
He wanted to tell Harry that he felt the same. This wasn't the time to say those words. Once the adrenaline subsided he knew Harry was going to regret what had transcribed between them. Waving his wand he dried their wet clothing.  
"Are you injured or hurting at all?"  
"You are the one who's injured." Harry said quickly removing himself from this compromising position.  
"As I have said before it is fine."  
"We should rest."He said not wanting to spoil what had just happened with an argument.  
"Very well."

Through tired eyes Percival watched Mr. Potter and Mr. Snape enter the tent. Mr. Snape was limping terribly. He felt so exhausted, yet his mind wouldn't let him rest until he knew the other two were in one piece. Newt was out like a light the second he laid him down after spelling his close dry. Using their magic in the way they had zapped them from all their energy. His eyelids grew heavy as he watched the others take to seperate beds. Something was different between the two yet he was far too drained to look into it. Newt stirred besides him. Carefully he caressed his lover's face. Under his fingertips he could still feel his magic wanting to seep into Newt. It was a curious thing that he planned to look into later. Much later. For now he had to sleep.

Newt blinked his sleep away. From the dimming light he knew he had been asleep for several hours. Looking around he noticed that he wasn't the only one who had fallen asleep. He still couldn't believe that he and Percival had gotten everyone back to camp safely. Placing a kiss on Percival's forehead he tried to leave the cot.  
"Where are you going?" Percival mumbled with eyes still closed.  
"We missed lunch and I promised Mr. Snape that we would forage for food."He whispered.  
"Five more minutes."  
"You can go back to sleep."  
"I am not letting you go out alone."Percival said slowly getting up.  
On tired legs they set out to outskirts of their camp. From his travels he had picked up enough knowledge of plants to decipher what was edible and what wasn't.  
His magic hummed happily each time Percival got close. This wasn't the first time he had noticed this strange phenomenon,even so it felt much stronger now.  
"Do you you still feel it?"He asked when their hands brushed against each other as they picked a small fruit from a tree.  
"I do. I wouldn't be surprised if we felt it for a while. We did use combined magic twice...Thanks to you we saved them. "  
"It wasn't just me."  
"If you hadn't started taking off we wouldn't have reached them in time. How did you know they were in trouble? I thought We were going to run into the creature. "  
"There were no caves or water pools around us."He shook his head. "When the rain started I remembered that the creature can control water and the weather."  
"Weather control and shapeshifting. It was just our luck that it decided to stay in lizard form. It would've been much easier to deal with a lizard woman then that ferocious beast." Percival sighed.  
"She's not ferocious."  
"She could've killed us all easily." Percival said sternly.  
"You would too if someone disturbed your home."  
"That was all because we were uninvited house guests?"  
"No. There's more to it. The first time we were attacked we weren't near her home. Only after that we were deemed a threat. She wouldn't attack us without being provoked. The area we were at was wrecked long before we got here...it didn't make sense until I noticed this."He said picking up a long vine with bright foliage." This is an invasive vine. I've seen it a few times in my travels. I noticed that when mythical creatures eat it they act out violently.... This plant shouldn't be here."  
"If we get rid of this plant the creature will stop attacking people coming up the mountain?"  
"I'm sure of it. We have to help her."  
"Okay."

"Severus."  
Hearing his name sprung him from his rest in a panic. Catching his breath he saw Harry smiling in his sleep.  
"Severus." Harry whispered in his sleep again.  
Guilt was wreaking havoc on his conscious. He needed to sort out what was going on with him. Kissing Harry was wrong. The ailing boy had to be in an altered mental state after the attack,they both had to be. Kissing Harry had been far too wonderful. It was perhaps the most wonderful thing he'd experience in life. It was still wrong. Harry was his student. Harry was ill. Severus knew he had been weak to Harry's kiss. Logic said that it didn't mean a thing, perhaps just an attempt to distract him from returning for the plant. He was sure Harry was only going with the moment when he'd reciprocated the kiss. The fault of the outcome would be his alone. He cared far too much for Harry to let his momentary slip in judgment destroy the trust built. Never again would he touch Harry.  
"I'm sorry." He whispered before limping out the tent.  
Despite spelling his bones back into place his left leg felt like it was being stabbed with a rusted knife with each movement. Without a proper access to medical potions he'd have to deal with the pain. Brewing something to hold him over was out if the question. Everything he had in his bag was strictly for Harry. This wasn't the first time nor the last he'd have to go through this sort of pain.  
Opening his bag he took inventory of the remaining food he'd packed. With the four of them eating he could just barely make the remnants stretch. Tomorrow would be their last day.  
"Mr. Snape you're up." Mr. Scamander said returning with Mr. Graves carrying handfuls of fruit.  
"Where did you get those?"  
"We had go go a little far to grab them,but I'm sure they're edible."  
Looking over the bounty Severus deemed that the pair hadn't picked anything inedible. Paranoia still told him to inspect each fruit.  
"How is your injury?"  
"I can make a chair for you."Mr. Graves offered.  
"That's not necessary. I am fine."  
"I insist." Mr. Graves said conjuring a chair.  
Stubbornly he stood for a moment glaring at the American.  
"Please sit." The magizoologist pleaded eyeing his injured limb.  
Slowly he sat down.  
"After we eat we're going back."  
"Do you think that is wise? Our spell would've faded long ago."Mr. Graves said.  
The couple's combined magic was a stunning feat. In all his years he hadn't seen anything like it. Combined magic was far different then combining spells. He could feel that the two's magic had momentarily interlocked together. For now he had to leave his questions aside.  
"I will go alone if necessary. "  
"We will go with you!" Mr. Scamander said far too quickly.  
"Then it is agreed."  
A loud yawn announced Harry’s emergence from the tent.  
"Lunch?" The tired wizard yawned.  
"It's late to call it lunch ,but I am starting on something to eat." He said not glancing at Harry.  
"I'll help."  
"We'll go get more firewood for tonight."Mr. Graves said.  
Now that they were alone he was very aware of Harry’s attempts to get closer to him. Cutting up the fruits he stared at his hand. Those emerald eyes were on him even more than before.  
"Severus."  
He tensed at his name. Head down he kept cutting up the fruit.  
"Severus."  
"I thought I told you not to call me that."  
"It's your name."  
"I am aware of that." He snapped.  
"I...I thought..."  
"What did you think? You thought things would change?"  
His words were coming out more angry than he anticipated. The line had to be drawn now. He had gone too far. Things needed to be straighten out before they returned.

  
"You're a no good GIT some times you know that! "Harry yelled.  
"Potter." He said finally looking at him.  
Emerald eyes widened in shock at the use of his last name.  
"No! I am allowed to get mad! I'm dying for crying out loud! "  
"Stop." He said keeping his tone neutral.  
"The least you can do is own up to what happened."  
"You were not in the right mindset."  
"But you kissed me back!"  
Severus remained silent.  
"So what? It was a pity kiss? You're not so low that you would take advantage of me like that."  
"It was a moment of weakness."  
"Do you care about me at all?"  
Of Course he cared. He cared so much that he had to push Harry away for his own safety.  
"Enough."He said flatly.  
"GIT!"Harry yelled throwing a piece of fruit at him.  
" If I didn't care why would I have risked coming to this place?" It was difficult to not return the shouts.  
"DUTY! You're so duty bound that you would do whatever Dumbledore told you to do! That's the only reason you Ever helped me and don't pretend otherwise!"  
"Potter..."  
"NO. I'm done with this conversation." Harry scream raising his wand at him. "I'm going to hangout with Newt."  
He had to back down,escalating this wouldn't help. Using magic was far too dangerous for Harry in his current state.  
"Go." He said softly."But what I've done for you was not completely because of my duty. "  
Those emerald looked to be on the verge of tears. He couldn't blame Harry for lashing out against him. What was said was true he was a git for letting such a thing happen. The anger was well placed ,still he knew that the kiss wasn't all the young wizard was upset about. Death was fast approaching and from experience Severus knew people would act out in these situations. Fear,anger,sadness, confusion ;all played a part in the last time he dealt with this. Things that he tried to forget easily floated to the front of his mind every second he glanced at Harry. Every coughing fit, every pained expression tore at his heart ,yet he had to remain calm. The indifferent mask had to be reinforced more now than ever. With a heavy heart he watched Harry storm off.

Harry was furiously stomping his way to his new friend. Without Ron and Hermione to keep him from doing anything stupid or Draco to help let off some steam he needed to rant to someone. Even though he had started a friendship with Newt he wasn’t sure if he would be bothering the man with his dramatics. Moving over to the other side of their camp he spotted Newt and Mr. Graves sitting on top of a large rock looking out at the scenery. Jealousy crept up at the intimate sight. Newt must've sensed him as the soft spoken man turned to give him a shy smile. Mr. Graves stood up pressing a hand on Newt's shoulder.  
"I'll see what I can do."Mr. Graves muttered as he passed.  
"Care to join me Harry? " Newt asked motioning to the place where Graves had sat.  
Taking the offered seat he huffed. The questioning glance was all he needed to start his rant.  
" I don't understand him. He's so..so stubborn. Why does he have to be that way? I mean he has always been such a git to me,but I see now that he had to be that way...He had to upheld his reputation as the snarky potions professor,even so we aren't at Hogwarts now! You don't know how difficult he is Newt. Why? He's saved my life so many times I ....I owe him so much."  
"Perhaps you could tell me what the problem is."  
Newt wasn't the type to get involved with other people's personal lives. In fact he had the tendency to avoid people unless it was necessary. It wasn't as if he disliked people or didn't care about their lives ,simply put he preferred the company of other living creatures. Harry was one of the rare exceptions ,he easily connected to the young wizard's train of thoughts. They both thought in barely jointed ideas and acted on instinct. The rant was something he could easily follow,yet he needed a little more to put the picture together. Newt understood Harry's upset at his position both as someone coming to terms with feelings and being ill. He may have not known the whole story between Harry and Snape though it was clear that two complemented each other. The two loved each other in such a way that denying it was to deny that the sun set at the end of each day. An odd couple ,but one that held so much love that came out in unusual ways.  
"He hates me." Harry sobbed. "I always knew that but....but.. when he kissed me back I felt loved. I really thought he felt something for me."  
"He does."  
"No he doesn't. He couldn't look at me until I started yelling. How can someone give you the best snogging in your life then pretend it didn't happen?"  
"Remember what Percival said. Sometimes people are unable to show how they really feel."  
"He doesn't feel anything. He's so cold hearted...He didn't even yell back."  
"Did you want him to?"  
"I wanted him to do something! Laugh at my feelings. Call me an idiot. Hex me. I don't care."  
"Is that really what you wanted?"  
"No.... I wanted him to stop me from storming off. He just sat there not showing any emotions as I yelled or walked away."  
"Harry. Did you ever think that he is trying to protect you."  
"He's always protecting me from one creature or another."  
"That's not what I meant." He said taking Harry's hand. "I've noticed that certain people push others away to protect them from getting involved."  
"That makes no sense."  
"To us it might not ,but to those who have been deeply hurt it does. I once met a little girl on my travels in the Amazon who lived all alone in her village. The members of the village provided food and water to her yet she wouldn't talk to or see anyone.  
I asked why she lived so far away from the others. The villagers told me that she ran off to the old home after an accident with her little brother. No one could tell me for certain what the accident entailed.  
It turned out that she was a young witch living among the muggle villagers. Being so young her magic was unstable so it had accidentally lashed out at her brother during an argument. She isolated herself so she couldn't harm the villagers who she loved dearly. I taught her how to control the magic within her. She was so gifted. It took work to get her to return to her family. When she returned the village was overjoyed."  
"She lived alone because she wanted to protect everyone from herself?"  
"Yes. Pushing away others is sometimes looked at as the only option."  
"But it's not. "  
"Humans are complex."He shrugged. "What actions are shown don't always reflect true intentions. Mr. Snape might be one of the most complex humans I've ever met."

Percival found the gloomy man still sitting cutting up fruits. Glancing at the still discolored left leg he figured Mr. Snape couldn't storm off after the fight. The man looked pained both physically and emotionally.  
"Mr. Graves." The man in black said holding out a bowl with mixed fruit.  
"I'm not here for the food."  
"What are you here for then?" Mr. Snape asked lowering his hand.  
"To make sure you are alright."  
"I can handle my injury."  
"Even the one in your heart?"  
Icy eyes shot at him. There was hurt in that malice laced look.  
"Take the food and go."  
"I won't do that."  
"Then I will leave." Mr. Snape said attempting to stand.  
"You are no coward Mr. Snape so what are you running from?"  
"I am not running from anything."  
"That's not what it looks like from my point of view."  
"And why should I care about your point of view?"  
"You don't have to care about my point of view. Mr. Potter's is the one you should care about. Right now he sees you pushing him away. Tell me, why would you push away the young man who cares for you?"  
"I won't dignify such bollocks with a answer. "  
" That young man cares for you so much that it frightens you." He said pressing his index finger into the man's chest."I'm right aren't I?"  
"No."Mr. Snape said slapping away his hand.  
"I know what it's like to feel that you need to protect someone from yourself. The endless worry that if you get too close the worst sides of yourself will show. So you push anyone who comes near away...I'm not too different than You. We desperately hold the need to keep the dark away from what we see as light. Shielding what is good from ourselves all because we hold some darkness...When someone comes along who we care the most about we double our efforts to push them away so they are protected. I've learned that you can't protect someone by pushing them away."  
"You know nothing about me."  
"I know you care so deeply for Him that you would do whatever it took to make him happy... Don't you want to see him smile and laugh? Don't you want to see him go on to live a fulfilling life?"  
Mr. Snape gave a barely noticeable nod.  
"I know you want that for him or else you wouldn't be acting so cold towards him. Stubborn men like us think that happiness for the ones we love lie in something that we have no access to. The truth is that we are wrong. If you want him to be happy you need to be honest with him. Show him why you're pushing him away. He won't run. No matter what it is he can handle it."  
Taking the bowls of fruit he left to let his words sink in.

Severus's mind and heart were at war. Mr. Graves words stuck a cord. Harry couldn't be happy with him. All he could do was possibly make a cure for his illness. Severus I'm sorry his mother's voice echoed in his mind. He couldn't deal with her voice saying those words. Her last words. Tightly he shut his eyes hoping the sound would go away. Severus I'm sorry.  
"Severus I'm sorry." Harry's voice muttered.  
Slowly opening his eyes Harry was standing there repeating his mother’s words. Fear was rising within him but he refused to let it show.  
"I shouldn’t have exploded like that...I..."  
He had to look away from the Gryffindor’s nervous habit of biting his lower lip. That habit made him want to ease all of Harry’s worries.  
" I didn't... I don't want to go back to hating each other. " Harry continued.  
He remained silent. He didn't trust his words to not come out cruel. Everything was pushing to the surface. Harry didn't need to apologize. He needed to apologize,yet he was too stubborn.  
"Please talk to me."  
"I don't know what you want me to say." He said steadily.  
"Say anything."  
"I have nothing to say."  
He had to end this conversation. There was a crack that was increasingly giving way to his hurt. Severus blamed the pain in his leg for the lack of strength to hold back the emotions anymore.  
"You do."  
"I don't know what you expect of me. I don't even know if what I'm trying to do is save you or my late mother. Seeing you like this brings up way too many memories of her." His words remained tone less while inside there was chaos.  
"I.. I didn't know."  
"How could you when I have never talked about her to anyone."  
Talking about his mother’s death wasn't worth the heartache,especially when no one was around to even listen. Talking wouldn't bring her back. Nothing could bring her back.  
"I will listen if you want to talk about it. ..I know what it's like to lose someone you care about."  
The death of Harry’s godfather was something he saw greatly affect the young wizard. He wasn't as callous as people thought. He would never celebrate someone's death or mock another's grief. Even though he didn't much care for Sirius because of the beatings and taunts back in his school days he knew how much the man meant to Potter. Grief was something that no one should have to face alone.It was never his right to speak to the Gryffindor about it. Leaving it up to the friends of Potter had been the only option.  
"Severus. "Potter said reaching for his hand.  
"Don't. "He said revoking his hand away.  
"If you never talk about it it'll continue to weigh on your heart."  
"Some would say I'm heartless."  
"I know that is not true."  
He couldn't do this. Not now. Not ever. The mask of indifference wouldn't hold up if he spoke about his late mother.  
"You know very little about me. "  
"Then tell me."Potter said with conviction. "I know enough about you to know that you are not your reputation. Your heart is so big that you have locked it up so you won't get hurt. I see it in your eyes ,if only for a moment, what you're truly feeling. You act snarky while guiding students away from the dark. The sacrifices you made for the light won't go unknown if I can help it Severus. You're a good man."  
"You have the knack for seeing the good in people. That blinds you to the fact that I've done horrible things. I am far from a good man."  
"No you're not!"  
"Don't presume that all my transgressions can be written off because it was for the light or something I had to do in times of war!" He snarled.  
Potter's mouth shut. He knew the young man was looking for the next words to say.  
"But.."  
"I can't deny the horrific things I did."  
"I don't care about what you did!"  
"So you don't care that I killed innocent people?Killed children. You don't care that I experimented on those captured by my fellow Death Eaters,torturing them to the point they all lost their minds before wasting away?"  
"Why do you have to do that?" Harry whispered. "Why do you have to push me away like this?"  
"It's for your own good."  
"How can it be for my own good? Why can't you just let me in?"  
"WHAT GOOD HAS EVER COME OF ME LETTING SOMEONE IN?"  
"I use to think the same thing.” Harry said in a soft voice. “When Sirius died I thought all about the people I cared about and how their lives had gotten all tangled up in this mess because of me. All because I was The-Boy-Who-Lived those closest to me would die. I wanted to shut everyone out. If I didn't exist then maybe they all would be happier,safe from the trouble that followed me. It took a while to realise that disappearing wouldn't help anyone. The pain of losing someone so close doesn't go away. It follows you ,some days are better than others. That pain shouldn't stop us from living ,stop us from seeking happiness."  
"My mother..." He paused to settle the pain in his chest. "My mother was a very talented witch with a promising future. She was strong and intimidating ,bred from a prestigious wizard household. Her only mistake according to her pureblood relatives was falling in love with a muggle. She believed in love so much that she didn't care when she was disowned and exiled from a world she had known all her life. The muggle world was exciting to her. She began a happy life with the man learning all she could. The man who at first admired my mother's strength and magic grew envious. He began to beat her and ridiculing her for lack of muggle knowledge. The strong intimidating woman over time became weak under the constant abuse. On the day she told her husband she was pregnant the abuse stopped. Nine months of bliss lulled her into security. Love had been restored. She truly believed having a child would change everything for the better."  
Tears were trying to break through.  
"Not even before their son turned one did the beatings resumed. She protected her son from ever being touched by the man she once loved. When their son started showing signs of being magical his father was furious. No longer was the son spared from the beatings. One day the son stumbled upon his mother lying on the ground with several empty vials around her. When he shook her she woke so he thought she just fell asleep. As the weeks passed he noticed his mother getting weaker and weaker until one day she was gasping calling out his name. The son ran to her side hoping to save her. She couldn't be saved. Through rugged breathing she told him that it was her own fault she was dying."  
He could still see that day vividly in his mind. Hear her words.  
"She had drank a deadly mixture of potions she had hidden away. The day he had found her asleep on the floor she had tried to die,but the mixture didn't kill her right away. Instead the mix damaged her magical core slowly and painfully killing her. With her death the son faced abuse from his father alone,but was saved when away to school. At school he studied potions working to creating a cure for what killed his mother. While young and naive he believed a powerful wizard when he was told he could find the cure if he became one of the wizard's followers. It didn't matter that this powerful wizard was dark as long as it resulted in a cure the boy would do anything."

Tears were flowing nonstop as Harry listened to Severus's story. As soon as the man stopped talking he embraced him  
He wanted to hug Severus so tightly that his past self could feel it. No one deserves to have gone through so much pain.  
"It's alright Harry. It's in the past."  
"No it's not. You're still hurting."  
He refused to let Severus lock that pain backup. He knew very well what it was like to be abused. Knew how it felt to pretend that you had a normal home life like everyone else.  
"You are so strong. I'm sure your mother would've been so proud of who've become."He sobbed.  
Hands tightened on his back.  
"I don't think so. I have done horrible and foolish things."  
"I lived in a cupboard under the stairs for years." He said suddenly wanting to share as much as Severus had. "My aunt and uncle only let me out to do chores. If I wasn't quick enough or did something wrong they would beat me. I went more nights hungry than fed. They would call me freak more than my actual name. Not until I entered Hogwarts did I have a decent meal or a bed."  
He could feel his shoulder grow damp.  
"Why didn't you say anything before?"  
"It's not much of a conversation starter. I couldn't say 'hi my name is Harry Potter the boy who lives under the stairs cause my family thinks I'm a freak.'" He weakly joked.  
"Don't make light of what you've gone through."  
The both held each other in silence unsure of what to do. All the heartbreak was taking a toll.  
"You know it's bollocks that we are so close now that I'm dying."  
"You're not going to die."  
"I know you will do everything you can for me."He said cupping Severus's face. "I'm not giving up hope,still I'm prepared for the inevitable. Even when I get through this I have to go up against Voldemort."  
"Not alone. I will fight that snake right at your side."  
Harry's heart leapt at those words. In those few words he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Fear also followed at the thought of Severus on the battlefield. He had always known the man was going to be present at the final fight,but now he couldn't bare to see him get injured.  
"I love you."  
"That's the emotional exhaustion talking."  
"I'll be sure to say it as many times as it takes for you to believe it."

"Crisis averted." Percival told Newt when he saw the two wizards embrace.  
"What did you say to Mr. Snape?"  
"I just told him what he needed to hear." He smiled. Now that the two were no longer at war he could focus on Newt.  
Taking a piece of fruit in his hand he slipped it into Newt's mouth. Adorable blush covered Newt's face. Playfully he rubbed his thumb over his lips. Sapphire eyes too beautiful for words shied away from his glance.  
"I love you." He said lifting up Newt's chin slightly. "Newt this vacation has not gone at all how I planned. Most things in life don't go according to plan. So I want to do this now before we have to face off more giant lizards or the next near death experience."  
"Do what?" Newt asked with wide eyes.  
"Since the day I met you I've been enamored by your caring soul. Captivated by your bravery. There is not enough time or words to fully express how you've bewitched me. You push me to be a better man each day. You've opened me up to so many experiences. I hope that one day I may return the favor."

Newt was growing more and more embarrassed as Percival talked. His heart couldn't take another second of this.  
"Newt we have been together for a while, yet it's not enough. It's not enough to Visit your apartment every weekend or talk with you in my office when I get a free time. Call me selfish ,but u want to spend every single moment with you. I want to wake up every day with you besides me. I want to be your first good morning."  
Nervously he watched Percival kneel down and reach into his pocket.  
"Newt I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"  
Newt didn't give Percival the chance to open the small velvet box as he pulled the man into a kiss. His heart was moving so fast that the beating was deafening. Percival's lips pressed back on his. Elation over ride his brain as Percival deepened the kiss. Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks.  
"So can I take this as a yes?"Percival asked breaking the kiss.  
"Yes." He laughed.

"We need to go back." Snape said.  
"Can't we just stay here and enjoy the fact that we are not at each other's throats?" He asked.  
"This day is coming to an end. And I'd feel much better if I got that plant. We don't have much time."  
Harry knew Severus was right. They had only one more day.  
"Are you sure you'll make?"  
"We should be able to apparate. "  
Harry scrunched up his nose. He'd rather make the walk and step climb than apparate. They were pressed for time so he couldn't complain.  
"Are you two ready to go?"Mr. Graves asked holding onto Newt's hand.  
Newt looked so overjoyed. And thoroughly snogged by the looks of the magizologist's lips. In all this craziness Harry was glad that the two was so happy together. Something shiny caught his attention. On Newt's finger was a beautiful silver ring that he was sure hadn't been there before.  
"Congratulations! "He exclaimed as he hugged the two. "Look Severus." He said pointing to Newt's ring.  
"Congratulations."  
"T...thank you."Newt stuttered.  
"We'll celebrate tonight." Mr. Graves beamed. "Shall we go back?"


	4. Part 4

Severus steadied Harry as they came out from the apparition. They all had their wands drawn ready to face the creature again. He didn't like the idea of Harry using his magic,even so it was better for him to have some sort of protection. A loud roar shook the surroundings. He ran towards the largest pool. Most of the water had been drained so that he could clearly see the plant. Multicolored petals from a twisted stem,this was definitely the plant he had been searching for. Picking up the pace water pulled at his injured leg. Not caring if he lost his leg completely he made it to the center of the pool.

The large reptile reared its head. Newt knew they couldn't combine his magic with Percival again.  
"You don't want to do this."He spoke softly to the angered creature.  
The creature's tail whipped at his feet. He lowered his wand. Violence wasn't the answer. This creature was hurt and not in the right mind.  
"I know you don't want to harm us. I'm sorry that we hurt you."  
The tail struck the ground again.  
"Forgive us." He said dropping his head.

Percival was amazed at Newt's calm words. The creature seemed to be responding well. Following Newt's example he lowered his wand. He didn't let his guard down just incase the creature harmed his fiance. Large yellow eyes watched them. They were too close to the creature. At any moment they could be eaten whole. His fiance didn't show fear at their situation. Those sapphire eyes were looking into those large yellow ones.

Harry watched as the large reptile stood over Mr. Graves and Newt. He felt so useless just standing by. Violently his heart constricted. He fell to the ground. With the excitement of making up with Severus he had forgotten to take his potion. Excruciating pain gripped at his muscles. Gasping he tried to get back up.

Newt spoke softly to the creature. She appeared to be saner than earlier. The effects of the invasive vine must've worn off, some times it took days or weeks depending on the amount consumed. Her large eyes held his gaze. He did his best to look as docile as possible. He was thankful that Percival was following his lead.  
"We are greatly sorry. We didn't want to harm you as much as you didn't want to harm us. It's not your fault. You don't want to hurt anyone."  
The creature lowered its head. He could feel Percival tense besides him. Remaining calm he watched as the large reptile shrink slowly. Smaller and smaller the creature shrunk until she took on the form of a human. A beautiful tanned woman now stood in place of the reptile. Her long dark hair covered up just enough of her naked body. He kept his gaze on her face. She stood with a stern look on her face,eyes still reptilian.  
"We can help you."  
She furled her eyebrows conveying her distrust.  
"There is an invasive species that is hurting your home. It made you violent when you ate it."  
Something caught her attention. Turning his head he saw Mr. Snape sever a multicolored plant from the large pool of water. She turned to glare at him. Lifting her hand the surrounding water rose.  
"Please stop."  
She snarled at him.

Harry looked up to see large towers of water rising from the pools.  
"S..Severus. " He called out.  
Helplessly he watched Severus move as fast as he could out of now large hole in the ground. One by one the towers of water crashed around Severus.  
"Stop!" Newt pleaded with a woman he hadn't seen before.  
"Sev.."  
He crawled towards Severus.  
The woman waved her hand sending another shot of water to crash down.  
"Harry!"  
Their hands touched before a wall of water struck Severus. For a moment all he could see was the falling water in front of him. When it stopped the water puddle around the now incapacitated man.  
"Can't you see that young one is ill?" He heard Newt asked the woman. "He needs that plant to live."  
The plant. The beautiful plant was now in shreds. He didn't care about that anymore. Taking Severus's head into his arms he pushed back those long locks. Pain struck him again.  
"I love you."He cried.  
The time-turner around his neck started to glow. Intuitively he knew that this meant they were out of time. Grabbing a hold of Severus the world around them shifted and warped returning them to Severus's office. He managed to make out Dumbledore's voice saying something before he blacked out.

The infirmary ceiling was the first thing that he recognized when he woke. A cold draft told him that he was in the same bed he occupied as a student.  
"You have returned to us Severus." Pomfrey said.  
"What am I doing here?"  
"Both you and Mr. Potter blacked out in your office. Your leg was horribly damaged. You used a quick fix didn't you instead of properly caring for it."  
"There was no time. Where is H...Potter?"  
"In his own bed. Both of you have been out for a few days."  
"A few days?"  
"I have been keeping a strict eye on him." The medi-witch said placing a hand on his shoulder. "He should wake up soon."  
Severus wasn't going to be there when Harry finally woke. He couldn't face that moment. There was nothing left he could do. As the medi-witch returned to her office he escaped. With his healed leg he was able to move quickly back to his quarters.

Harry woke up to see Ron and Hermione at his bed side.  
"Good morning."  
"You've finally woken up!"  
"What do you mean?"  
"It has been days. What the heck is going on? You had us all worried sick." Hermione said.  
There was no use hiding the truth now.  
"I did something stupid. I drank a potion that which turned out to have been a poisonous mixture of highly concentrated potions....It damaged my magical core."  
Both of his friend's eyes widened with understanding of his condition.  
"There's no cure." Ron said frightened.  
"Snape was trying to create one. He needed a special plant that was extinct. So we went back in time to get it,but...we didn't get it."  
"Oh Harry." Hermione threw her arms around him.  
"I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner." He cried. " I...I couldn't do it."

A rapid knock came at the door of his quarters. There were only a few people who would dare visit him here, and of that short list he wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone. The knocking wouldn't let up even after minutes ticked on. Finally he opened the door to find his godson looking peeved.  
"What the heck is going on?"  
"What is it Draco?"  
As much as he loved Draco, like a son, he couldn't deal with him now. He needed a drink. And possibly unleash his rage out on his surroundings. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. They still had time. A whole day that would’ve made them victorious was taken away.  
"Tell me what happened." The blond demanded pushing past him into his quarters. " I am not leaving until you tell me what's going on."  
"What are you referring to?" He asked trying to keep his emotions from bubbling up.  
"Leave the acting dumb to the Gryffindors." Draco said tapping his foot in annoyance. "First Potter comes in the Great Hall looking like death then he's asleep in the infirmary for days. To top it off you are missing from class. I had to deal with the most inept potions professor. When I finally got a meeting with Dumbledore he told me you were in the infirmary. You hate the infirmary. You wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t absolutely life or death. So what happened?"  
"I am far too exhausted for this."  
"Too Bloody Bad. I Need to know."  
Severus knew that Draco and Harry had gotten close. Sometimes Draco would visit him and share about his time with the-boy-who-makes-friends-out-of-foes. He couldn't tell Draco the truth. It wasn't for him to say. Lying was out of the option since he had taught the blond how to detect a lie. News of Harry's condition would only serve to destroy his godson. How could he do that? He had to tell him.  
"Have a seat Draco."  
"I will stand."  
Sighing he took a seat in his favorite chair. If there was any way to avoid this conversation he would take it.  
"A few days ago Mr. Potter consumed a deadly mixture that was disguised as a harmless potion. He suffered damage to his magical core."  
"That is not a funny joke." Draco said swaying as if his legs were going to give out.  
"I am completely serious."  
"There has to be something you can do to stop it!"  
Producing a vial of Harry’s potion he handed it to his godson. The blond looked at it quizzically.  
"I went on a mission to retrieve a plant for the cure,but I was unsuccessful. All I can do now is offer him temporary relief with that potion."  
"No. I don't believe this!"  
He didn't stop the blond from running out of his quarters. The sound of running slowly shrunk into the distance.

 

"Harry!"Draco's voice echoed off the infirmary walls.  
Draco looked worry stricken. That look on the blond's face told him that he knew. Giving an apologetic look to his other friends he made his way over to the blond. Silently he took Draco's hand and walked out of the infirmary. He was so tired of hurting the people he loved this way. They walked hand in hand outside. There was far too much he had to say to Draco.  
They sat on the top of the lawn facing towards the forbidden forest. Draco's face was unmoving though the blond hadn't perfected his mask of indifference. From this close he could tell Draco was biting the inside of his cheeks so not to say a word.  
"Draco..."  
He had no idea what to say.  
"You're a git."  
"I would've told you sooner."  
"Let me guess. My notification got lost in the post."  
"It's not that bad."  
"Not that bad? Your magical core is damaged. Must you always act like the horrible things that happen to you is normal? Dam it Harry!"  
"Potter luck will save me like it has before."  
"It bloody better!"  
"It will. Besides magical core or no I'm going to kick your butt at Quidditch."  
"I recall it was your butt that was kicked at last year's game."  
"I'm sure you cheated."He playfully shoved Draco.  
They laughed as they pushed each other. It was okay if he could keep up this false security of things being okay. The trip had been a failure so he couldn't have things the way it once was. Snape could still brew him the temporary relief potion , however in the end his foolishness was going to kill him.  
" I... I care about you a lot. I might care about you more than anyone I've ever known." Draco muttered.  
"Oh Draco."He said dramatically falling onto the Slytherin's lap. "All the harsh words were your way of telling me you loved me. I knew it."He joked.  
Draco laughed. "You know what I mean. Crabbe and Goyle only followed me around because of my last name. They were decent acquaintances. Ron and Hermione are more your friends than mine. I know it will take a life time for them to forgive me for everything...Since the first day I wanted to be your friend."  
"I'm glad we are friends now."  
"I was too until I found out how rubbish being your friend is."Draco smirked.  
"How can you say that, don't you love me?" He batted his eyes.  
"Someone with such unruly hair and blind as a bat could never be my type."  
"Then I'll slick my hair and wear contacts."  
"If only it were that simple. I think the bigger issue is that your stupidity can't be cured."  
"Woe is me."He pouted.  
"We'll if your that desperate for a snog." Draco said leaning down. The blond's lips hovered above his, silver eyes locking with his. A smile came across Draco's face. He knew Draco didn't love him in this way, it was a tease. Draco's lips pecked his cheek quickly.  
"Draco!"He feigned shock. "What would Blaise say if he saw that throughout snogging you just gave me?"  
"Sod off."Draco huffed, pushing Harry off his lap.  
"Really Draco when are you going to tell him?"  
"I don't see you confessing to anyone."  
He blushed bright red. Memories of his time spent with Snape flooded his brain, especially the kiss.  
"Harry Bloody Potter you were hiding a crush from me too!"Draco glared. "Out with it. I demand to know!"  
"It's not my fault. I swear I didn't realize I had feelings for him that way until recently.”  
"You must think I'm daft. As if I'd believe such lies."  
"No really."  
"How? You knew I had a crush on Blaise, yet you didn't know you had a crush on this mystery man?"  
"I guess it was because I thought this person hated me."  
"We'll I hope you and The Dark Lord will live happily ever after. "  
"It means so much that you support our forbidden love."He said going along with the joke.  
"I seriously want to know who it is."  
" You wouldn't approve."He bit his lip. Harry had no idea how Draco was going to react once he told him he loved Snape. Their relationship had always been odd,practically blending as well as oil and water. The trip had changed everything. No it had only allowed them to see what was there under the facades they both held at Hogwarts. Deep down Harry still had fear that what had happened on the mountain couldn't continue here. Here they were professor and student not Severus and Harry.  
"You have to stop that biting your lip nonsense. It makes me want to slap you." Draco rolled his eyes.  
"Are you sure it doesn't make you want to do something else?" He joked wiggling his eyebrows up and down.  
"Stop trying to change the subject." Draco warned.  
"You don't have to worry about it. I don't even know if anything will come from it."  
"What are you talking about? What could possibly prevent someone from returning the feelings of The Great Harry Potter The Boy Who Lived?"  
"He doesn't care that I'm The Boy Who Lived."  
"As if that title is anything special." Draco Scoffed. "Someone who fancies you shouldn't care about that. I would kick anyone's ass who dated you just for your fame."  
"As if I would have a choice in that. Most people see me only as the chosen one."  
"You deserve someone who sees you in all your flawed Gryffindor ideals, terrible eyesight, unmanageable hair, and that stupid smile."  
"Don't forget my terrible manners."  
"Yes the worst I've ever seen, aside from Ron."  
He couldn't help chuckle at that.  
"Harry." Draco said taking hold of his hand. "Whoever you've fallen for must know the true you or else you wouldn't have these feelings."  
Draco's words were right on the mark. What he felt for Severus was something that he hadn't felt for anyone else. Severus didn't care about his fame. Severus knew who he was ,maybe even more than he knew himself. They had gone through so much together and not just in the past few days. Before returning to this time they had bared their souls to one another. Hurtful memories that were locked in the dark brought into the light. Nothing in this world was left that he couldn't think they could face together. Not even Voldemort came across as threatening as he once did. Fear of loss would still be there,yet he was willing deal with those fears now. If he was too weak to fight Voldemort he could rely on the love from those who cared for him to keep him going.  
"You're right."  
"Then what is stopping you from being with him?"  
"If you knew who it was you'd think I had gone completely bonkers."  
"You never know I might surprise you."  
"I haven't told Hermione or Ron yet....Give me your wand."  
"Why?"  
"A precaution. I don't want you hexing me after I tell you."  
"Whatever makes you tell me faster." Draco said handing over his wand.  
Harry felt much more comfortable now that Draco was unarmed. Taking a deep breath he prepared to get berated.  
"I have fallen for Snape."  
"Harry you have to be completely honest with me." Draco said searching his eyes for something. "Snape. You've fallen for Severus Snape? As in Professor Snape. My godfather?" Draco spoke without giving away what he was feeling about the news.  
"Yes. I've fallen for the one and same snarky potions professor. So go on and laugh."  
"You're completely serious? This is not a joke?"  
"It's not a joke."  
Abruptly he was pulled into a hug. Stunned he froze on the spot. When Draco pulled back the blond was smiling with tears forming in his eyes.  
"I didn't think you would be so upset that I broke you."  
"Shut up Potter." Draco said trying to stop himself from crying.  
"You're okay with it?"  
"Okay with it? Harry you've no idea what it means to hear you say that you've fallen for Snape.... I've always worried about him being so alone. He once told me that no one could ever love him. That he was incapable of being loved. It broke my heart to hear that...More than anyone he deserves to be loved. To be happy. If anyone could break him out of his crushing loneliness it would be you."  
"But isn't the age difference weird? Or that we use to hate each other?"  
"WE use to hate each other and now look where we are. And once you've become of age it doesn't matter. Wizards and witches live so long that a few years between lovers isn't uncommon."  
"What if...what if all this is just a fluke....We kissed but that... What if he doesn't feel the same way?"  
"Hold up, a kiss?"  
"Yeah." He said, cheeks pinking.  
"I should alert the Daily Profit that Harry Potter has snogged Severus Snape." Draco beamed.  
"They wouldn't believe you." He stated.  
"You're right. I'm going to need photographic evidence." Draco teased.  
"If I ever see you with a camera I'm running."  
"Catching you will be child's play now that you're not the invincible boy wonder."  
"Don't you dare think that it would be so easy. I intend to double my efforts of trouble making before I am done in."  
They laughed together. Harry was sure they were laughing just so they wouldn't start crying. As much as they tried life couldn't be the same. Nothing could remain how it was,but maybe that wasn't a horrible thing.

Severus sat in his favorite chair nursing yet another glass of firewhiskey. There wasn't enough alcohol in the world to drown the pain. He had failed. Failure was never an option for him. It was over. Everything that he had worked for had gone up in smoke. There was no rewriting the past. No happy ending this time around for Harry. He couldn't even face Harry now. How could he look at those eyes and not see the pain hidden behind bravado. How could he admit that he had let everyone down? Lies couldn't erase the inevitable. All the ' get well soons' from Harry's friends wouldn't heal him. Not even his potions would hold up over time. It hurt too much knowing that he couldn't save Harry. He wasn't capable of saving anyone.  
"Why?" He asked the amber liquid. "All the sacrifices... was it for nothing?" Each word was coated with more pain than the last.  
He was unable to prevent Harry from facing the same fate as his mother. How many more people he cared for would die because he wasn't strong enough to save them? Harry would be another name to add onto the list of those he couldn't save. Knowing that infuriated him. Gripping the cup in his hand he tossed it at the opposite wall. Watching the glass shatter reminded him of the day his father had first laid hands on him in anger. Remembered how rough hands had attempted to strangle him and how his mother fought so he could live. At this moment he wondered if she had done the right thing. She had attempted suicide after that ,which he now knew had caused her magical core to be damaged leading to her eventual death. He was too young to have stopped her. And he was too late when he tried to save Lilly from Voldemort. Harry. He had simply failed him. They had been so close. Nothing could be more cruel than being so close and not achieving what needed to be done. There was so many ifs; if they had more time, if he had stopped Harry from drinking the poisoned mixture.  
"It doesn't matter now." He told himself.  
He couldn't sit in his chambers thinking of ifs. To his knowledge the culprit behind the poisoned mixture had yet to be discovered. Adjusting his teaching robe he flooed into his office. As soon as he stepped through the floo he heard a tentative knock on his door. Whoever was on the other side of the door he would shoo away. He wasn't in the right mindset to deal with students. Opening the door he noticed was the plant in the student's hands tall twisted stems with multicollored petals blooming from its pod.  
"Sir."  
"Where did you get this!" He demanded snatching the plant from the student without looking at him.  
This was it. This was the very same plant that would save Harry. There was no way a student could've acquired this plant.  
"My grandfather told me to deliver it to you."  
He looked up at the student. Before him stood a student whose face resembled a certain magizoologist.

"Harry!" He heard a familiar lulling voice call out. Luna was quickly sauntering their way. Catching Draco's eyes rolling he not so gently elbowed the blond in the side. Many of his friends didn't care for Luna's charm,which he often thought was too bad. Luna was so odd that it was a challenge to keep up with the newest mentionings in the Quibbler.  
"There you are Harry. I've been looking for you."  
"Too bad she found you." Draco whispered to him.  
He jabbed Draco again.  
"What's up Luna?"  
"Have you seen Rolf?"  
"I can't say I have."  
"Oh. Well he was carrying the most peculiar plant. He said he had to give it to you."  
"A plant?" Draco asked.  
"Yes. Rolf wanted to give it to you so he didn't have to deliver it to Professor Snape. I told him that if he had been told to deliver it to Professor Snape he should give it to him. I wanted to check that he had listened to me."  
"Wait Luna what did this plant look like?" He asked.  
"It was all twisted." Luna said twisting her hands to emphasize the look of the plant.  
"Did it have multi colored petals?" He asked excitedly.  
"Yes."  
That was all he needed. Jumping up on his feet he ran down the hill. If Luna was telling the truth, which he knew she was, Rolf had the missing ingredient for his cure. Faster he ran down the corridors.He had to see Severus and tell him the good news if Rolf hadn't gotten to him first.  
"Harry Bloody Potter! How dare you leave me behind without a wand to defend myself against that exasperating friend of yours." Draco yelled behind him.  
He only slowed down a little so the blond could catch up.  
"What is going on?" Draco asked grabbing his hand.  
"No time. Run." He said not slowing despite Draco's tight grip.  
Draco was doing his best to run in time with him, even so it was difficult to not drag the Slytherin. Reaching the stairs down to the dungeons his heart was thoroughly leaping out of his chest. Standing looking petrified at Severus's office door stood Rolf. He slowed his approach to not further startle the poor thing.  
"Rolf."  
"H...Harry. I wish you had shown up earlier."  
"What happened?" He asked struggling to contain his jitters.  
"I was told to deliver a plant to Professor Snape and he snatched it like I stole it. I thought he was going to rip my arms off. Then he slammed the door in my face saying that I shouldn't bother him."  
"Thank you Rolf!" He said bringing Rolf into a hug.  
"Harry what is going on?" Draco asked as he pulled them apart.  
All the excitement was going straight to his head. He had to sit down. A sharp pain in his chest didn't knock him to the ground as it would before. Nothing could ruin the happiness he was feeling.  
"Are you okay?" Rolf asked.  
"Never better actually thanks to you."  
"I don't know what I did."  
"What did he do Harry?" Draco asked, helping him stand.  
"The cure. Rolf just delivered the final ingredient for the cure to a damaged magical core."  
"You can't be serious." Draco said dumbfounded.  
"I'm a hundred percent serious."

 

Severus didn't waste time interrogating the student that was indeed a Scamander. With the plant he dug through his bag for his tattered notebook. He wouldn't let himself become overwhelmed now that he had both the theory and the means to cure Harry. There was so much work to be done. Emptying out his bag he grabbed everything he would need and laid it out on his work table in the classroom. Spelling the classroom doors so there would be no interruptions he began.

Again Harry had been returned to the infirmary. Soon he would be given his potion and this pain would fade. Rolf had gone off ,shaken by his onset of symptoms, so now Draco was the only one with him.  
"It looks like you are going to beat the record for most infirmary visits after all." Draco said sitting besides him.  
"Jealous?"  
"Hardly. I hate this place."  
"And yet when you are here you made such a fuss."Madame Pomfrey said carrying his potion. "Honestly Mr. Malfoy grumbling about a sore stomach and few scratches."  
"That was one time in second year. And I was nearly killed by a bludger alongside Potter."  
Harry did his best not to laugh at Madame Pomfrey trying not to roll her eyes. Taking the vial from Madame Pomfrey he chugged the liquid. With a nod the medi-witch disappeared. Draco poured him a glass of water which he also chugged. He wanted to get out of here soon as possible.  
"What's the rush?"  
"I want to see him. I haven't seen him in days."  
"He won't see you if he's brewing your cure. Trust me I've been tossed out of his classroom many times when he was busy brewing."  
"How long do you think it will take?"  
"Hours maybe days." Draco shrugged.  
"Aren't you a great help." He said sarcastically.  
"I do my best."Draco smirked.

Hours had passed since he had started brewing. The heat radiating off the cauldron had forced Severus to tie up his hair. His eyes stung from the constant vigilance. This had to work. Severus never put much belief into anything after his mother's death. Believing hadn't done anything for him in the past. Believing, dreaming, wishing, hoping; no matter what it was called it had only left him damaged. His father had beat the belief in love out of him. His mother's death had destroyed dreams of things somehow would work out, that people could change. James Potter and his gang had shattered his wishes of fitting in. The Dark Lord had disintegrated the hope of someone keeping their word. Wishes were foolish. Dreaming for a cure to save his mother had consumed a large part of his life. He had longed to rid the horrors of the past ,yet his attempts to right the wrongs of the past had no results. After having so much of his soul consumed by the cruel acts he did under The Dark Lord only further destroyed his ability to believe in anything good. No he didn't wish on stars or hoped for a better tomorrow. This time he had to believe for Harry. He needed to believe in the theories developed for this cure would work out. He needed to believe that Harry would live.

 

Draco had done his best to keep him from running to the dungeons. Not wanting to hang out in the infirmary they had joined up with Ron and Hermione. After much bickering between Draco and Ron about what to do Hermione suggested that they play a few card games in her room. Being a Prefect she had her own room which they could enjoy the game without interruptions. He had hoped that Draco would've offered his room, which he too got for being a Prefect, but Ron and Hermione didn't want to enter the Slytherin dormitory. Sneaking Draco into the Gryffindor dormitory wasn't that difficult of atask. For those who saw the blond Draco would shoot a glare that said he'd hex them if they told a soul. Entering Hermione's room Draco scoffed at the overly Gryffindor decor. One game after the other they played to pass the time. Harry was overjoyed that all four of them could hangout without shouting matches or people getting punched in the nose. Now they sat in a tight circle on Hermione's bed playing a game of go-fish.  
"I win!" He said discarding his last pair.  
"You're a cheater Potter." Draco said tossing his cards down.  
"It's not my fault that you're rubbish at this game."  
"I am not! You picked a muggle game."  
"Ron did just fine." He said sticking out his tongue.  
"You taught me this game last Christmas mate." Ron said pushing the cards into a stack before handing it to Hermione.  
"See!"  
"You were the one who said you'd pick it up as we played." Hermione said shuffling the deck.  
"That's because you would spend all day not giving me a complete history lesson on the game before teaching me how to play it."  
They all laughed even Hermione chuckled. It truly wasn't that far from the truth. Last christmas she had done just that when they started teaching Ron muggle card games.  
"Come on let's play another round."  
"Shouldn't you be getting back for your potion?" Hermione asked looking at a small clock she had brought from home.  
"You sure know how to kill a mood Granger."Draco said placing a comforting hand on Harry's knee.  
"She's right Draco. If I don't get back Madame Pomfrey will send out a search party. I swear she has gotten more overbearing since I came back."  
"I still can't believe you went back so many years." Hermione said.  
"Sorry that you didn't find that plant mate."  
"Ron!" Hermione shrieked slapping him in the back of his head.  
"Actually..." He tried to hold back his joy as the two waited him to go on. "Rolf delivered the plant to Snape earlier."  
"WHAT?!" The two asked in unison.  
"Why doesn't he look surprised?" Ron added pointing to Draco.  
"Hurts doesn't it to be kept in the dark." Draco said addressing him more than Ron.  
"I thought the plant was extinct." Hermione said ignoring the others. "How did Rolf get his hands on it?"  
"I think he was given it by an old friend of mine."  
"I do not like that cryptic answer."  
"I really should get back to Madame Pomfrey."  
"Harry James Potter you are not leaving this room until you tell me!"  
"All you need to know is that Snape is brewing a cure for me."  
"You will explain everything to me one day."  
"Come on Potter I'll walk you back." Draco said as he got off the bed.  
Hermione glared at him as he too rose from the bed. Waving goodbye to his friends he led Draco out.  
"Why didn't you tell them about Snape?" Draco whispered as they made their way down the corridors towards the infirmary.  
"I'm not ready yet."  
"I won't push you. Just make sure you tell them. You have a horrible habit of keeping information from people."  
"How many times do I have to apologize?"  
"I don't think you ever did."  
Draco sounded very hurt. Even now that they knew there was hope for a cure he felt awful for not telling Draco about his condition.  
"I'm sorry. I...I... You were probably the one person I wanted to tell the most,but I couldn't.... I didn't want you to worry or treat me differently." He said walking slower so he could watch Draco's face. "What would I do if you stopped insulting me?" He asked hoping to lift the mood.  
"I could never stop insulting you, you make it just so easy." Draco offered a small smile.  
"I promise that I won't keep something so serious from you again."  
"As soon as you get that cure I expect you to repeat that in an unbreakable vow."  
For the rest of the walk they held a comfortable silence. He could feel the pressure return to his chest. Draco must've noticed the change as he took his hand and moved closer. Draco's slightly taller stature allowed him to easily rest his head on the Slytherin's shoulder. Pain rippled through his body so rapid that he lost his ability to stand. Closing his eyes he didn't want to see Draco look at him in this state. Everything was hurting so much more than it had earlier. Tears were streaming down his face.  
"Harry we are almost there." Draco whispered in a tone that was borderline sickening sweet.  
"I... thought you said... you wouldn't stop insulting me." He tried to joke through the pain.  
"You complete halfwit!" Draco muttered. "If you are moronic enough to stay here crying your eyes out when relief is so close than I shouldn't have never agreed to be your friend." Draco said lifting Harry up to his feet.  
"Much better." He smiled.  
"Being your friend is truly rubbish."  
It took a few more staggered steps before Draco spelled the infirmary doors open. Despite the excruciating pain he did his best to contain his cries. He knew that he had to eat before taking his potion.  
"Food." He wheezed as Draco helped him into his bed.  
"Dobby!"  
With a pop the house elf appeared.  
"Master Draco!" Dobby yelped.  
"Get Potter some food Now!" Draco snapped.  
"Y...Yes." Dobby said before disappearing.  
"You shouldn't be so cruel."  
"He wouldn't act fast enough if I didn't." Draco said adjusting the pillow beneath him.  
With a pop Dobby reappeared with the tray of food. Before he could thank the house elf Draco snatched the tray and Dobby disappeared. His arms felt so heavy. The pain in his chest had yet to settle. Without a word Draco began to feed him. It wasn’t as awkward or comforting as the time Severus accidently fed him. He tried to focus on the food. Thinking about Severus gave him mixed feelings. He wanted to share so many moments , happy moments with the man he loved. Severus had been there through so much of his hardships ,yet these past days he hadn't been around. Madame Pomfrey had told him that Severus hadn’t come to visited him after waking up.  
"Don't get use to this." Draco said giving him another spoonful of soup.  
" If it was Blaise in this bed you wouldn't be saying that." He teased.  
"Remind me to slap you when you're feeling better."  
"Love you too." He said making a kissing motion.  
"You should save that for Snape."  
His face heated up. Movement returned to his arms so he weakly shoved the blond. Draco smirked while placing down the spoon. He had managed to finish the bowl and half of a roll. Draco seemed to think that it was enough as the blond dug into his pocket pulling and offering him his potion. Harry was glad that Severus had given the Slytherin a vial. Dealing with Madame Pomfrey now was not what he had in mind. Taking the now uncorked vial he chugged its contents.  
"I wish I could." He said.  
"What?"  
"Snog Severus senseless." He teased.  
Draco shoved the half roll into his mouth. "Mind your manners Harry."  
"Why did you do that?" He asked biting off a piece of the bread.  
"From all the drooling I thought you were still hungry."  
" Ha Ha." He sarcastically laughed.  
Both turned their heads at the sound of footsteps approaching. He hoped it was Severus. Always he hoped it was Severus.  
"Harry!" Rolf said. " I am so sorry for running off. I was feeling so guilty..."  
"It's okay."  
"With that I'm leaving." Draco said.  
"Why?"  
"Don't feel like spoiling you anymore."  
"How will I go on without you tending to my every need. I couldn't go on without you." He said dramatically taking Draco's hand.  
"They say distance makes the heart grows fonder." Draco said slipping free from his grasp.  
He watched the blond leave wondering what exactly his friend was getting up to.  
"That was Draco Malfoy." Rolf said stunned.  
"Yes? He was with me when we saw you earlier."  
"I guess I was so shocked that I didn't notice. ...I thought you two were enemies."  
"We have a very interesting relationship."  
" Any way, I wanted to apologise again for earlier."  
"You don't have to apologise Rolf."  
" But....Grandfather!" Rolf happily greeted the man who stepped through the infirmary door.  
Harry watched Rolf hug a familiar old friend. Newt didn't look so different from when they met. Aside from the single streak of white hair Newt's face looked fuller and his stomach rounder than the time on the mountain. It had been years since they had seen each other although to him it was only days. With Newt directly besides Rolf he could see just how much they looked alike. Glancing at Newt's now slightly chubby fingers he didn't see the ring, making his heart sink. Without the ring and a grandson that was not adopted it was clear that Newt hadn't married Mr. Graves. Tears were starting to form in his eyes. More than anything he believed that the couple was going to live happily ever after.  
"Rolf. I need to talk to Harry alone." Newt said gently patting Rolf's head.  
"I should find Luna." Rolf said placing a hand on Newt's belly before leaving.  
"I am sorry for not coming sooner. Percival was worried about coming here. And his passport and paperwork were a nightmare."  
"Percival? You mean you two are still friends?"  
"Friends? Are you okay Harry?" Newt asked tilting his head.  
"Just confused. I mean didn't you marry some woman and have a kid?"  
"What makes you think that?"  
"You're not wearing the ring Mr. Graves had and Rolf looks so much like you." He said tearing up.

 

Newt smiled at those teary eyes. Reaching over he took Harry's hand a gave it a comforting squeeze. With his free hand he tugged out the chain around his neck that was hidden under his collar. He proudly held out the chain that held the ring that Percival had given him. Harry's eyes grew wide when it registered the ring.  
"How? Where is he then?"  
"Percival is talking to Dumbledore. You can't imagine how paranoid he is right now. He wanted to ask if Hogwarts protective barriers were as strong as possible."  
"I'm still confused."  
Before he could explain the medi-witch walked in.  
"Goodness. You shouldn't be on your feet."  
"I...I am alright." He stuttered.  
"A man in your condition should be resting as much as possible." The medi-witch warned. "I am going to get a comfy chair from my office."  
"Don't fret Harry." Newt said catching the worried look in Harry's eyes. "I am not ill. Almost the exact opposite really." He smiled at his swollen belly.  
Taking Harry's hand he placed it on his belly. He could feel a faint hum in his abdomen turn into a tingle sensation. Harry looked as lost as anyone could. Laughing he felt that tingle increase.  
"What is that?" Harry asked clearly not knowing whether to remove his hand or not.  
"That is my child."

A child? Harry couldn't believe what he was being told. This energy radiating from Newt's belly was something he had never felt before. A child? This was Newt's child.  
"Here we are." Madame Pomfrey said placing a soft chair beside his bed.  
"Thank you."  
"You're pregnant?" He yelped when he felt something in Newt's belly kick him.  
"I am."  
"That's impossible!"  
"Life is magical. Sometimes love is all that it takes to make the impossible possible."  
"He is right Mr. Potter." Madame Pomfrey said. "You are looking well. I'd say six months."  
"Yes. Six months today actually. I was worried that I was too old to be having kids. They say you shouldn't get pregnant after a certain age. "  
"That's old wives tales. In the old days birthing ability was limited to that age due to insufficient medical treatment and healthy environments. We are far more advanced than the dark ages now." Madame Pomfrey said placing a pillow on Newt's chair.  
"You're going to have a baby?"  
"Mr. Potter you may not know because of your up bringing, but I would've hoped someone would have informed you of this. Although it is rare, some wizards have the ability to produce children. I can get you some pamphlets on the subject if you would like."  
"Maybe another time. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this."  
Madame Pomfrey nodded and returned to her office.  
"it is a lot to take in."

 

"Imagine my surprise when I found out my lovely husband was pregnant." Percival said coming from behind the separation curtain.  
Leaning over he placed a kiss on Newt's forehead. After a lengthy discussion about protective wards with the Headmaster he wanted to return to his husband's side. A pregnant Newt for the second time made him more on edge then he should be. No matter how much he tried to suade his husband from taking the trip to Hogwarts he couldn't stop him. All it took was for Newt to tell him that Harry needed them and he rushed to get here.  
"Congratulations!" Harry bounced with the same excitable energy as the day he had discovered the ring box.  
"Thank you. This will be our second." He said placing a hand on Newt's stomach so he could feel his child's magic.  
Under his hand the energy felt like sparklers leaving faint heat in his fingertips.  
"Our first son married a lovely woman and had Rolf. We were both caught off guard by this recent pregnancy." Newt said placing a hand on top of his.  
"What is the name of your first son?"  
He felt Newt's hand tighten. Running his thumb across the back of his hand he encouraged his husband to answer the question. Their son had been a miracle beyond miracles. They both thanked Merlin everyday for blessing them with him. Newt still choked up each time he spoke about their son.  
"We named him in honor of someone who deserved a better life and unconditional love.... We named him Credence." Newt said with teary eyes.  
"There was a boy by the same name who was horribly abused and neglected by a woman that hated magical folk. She was a No-Maj whose actions and hatred forced the boy to conceal his magical gift. Because of suppressing his magic the boy became an obscurus and used by a dark wizard named Grindelwald. In the end the boy couldn't be saved."  
The story of Credence wrenched his heart when Newt had first told him about it. When it came to deciding on a name of their son there was no question of the prefect name. Credence had deserved far better than to be mistreated and used. The boy deserved to have a second chance at a loving family so they promised to show their son the love that Credence hadn't received. Pouring every ounce of love into their son had granted them with a wonderful daughter in law and the most adorable grandson. Life had been rather kind to them,which is why they had to return the favor. Since the day Harry and Mr. Snape vanished they had taken what remained of the plant and let it flourish in a greenhouse. For years they took care of the plant as it slowly bloomed hoping that when it was needed it would be ready.  
"I'm sure he knew that you cared about him." Mr. Potter said. "I always knew you would be great parents."  
"I was actually a complete wreck." He chuckled. "Newt had such natural caring. I on the other hand was lost at sea. I still worry that everything I do is wrong."  
"If Rolf is anything to go by I think you raised a good son."  
"Thank you. I feel a little more prepared now, but I wish the timing was better."  
"It's not a safe time to bring life into this world, but who are we to deny magic." Newt said rubbing his belly.  
"We would fight alongside of you at the upcoming war if we could. I am sorry we are unable to anything more for you."  
"It's not your fight. You have a child to protect. And you both have already done so much for me. I only ask for a visit when it's all over."  
"Of course." Newt smiled.  
"Mr. Potter would you mind keeping my husband company for a little while?"  
"Is everything okay?" Newt asked.  
"The Headmaster has granted me a meeting with an old friend."

Severus toiled over the cauldron. With the utmost care he began to fill the vial with the potion. It was done. Walking over to the washing station he thoroughly scrubbed his hands.  
"Knock knock." A familiar voice said.  
Standing in the doorway that connected his office to the classroom was Mr. Graves.  
"It has been a long time Mr. Snape." The American said outstretching his hand.  
"And in all that time you have not read up on brewing safety."  
"I waited until you were done brewing and washed thoroughly." Mr. Graves smirked.  
"You surprise me." He said shaking his hand.  
"It's you Mr. Snape who is the most surprising. World renowned potions master, Death Eater, The headmaster's most trusted professor..."  
"You have been reading up on me?" He glared.  
"You challenged me to discover who you were."  
"It only took you years."  
"I see Rolf was successful in getting the plant to you."  
"How did you manage it?"  
"Newt raised it from the damaged one. All this time we had our Grandson keep us in the know of Mr. Potter's health."  
"Thank you. Because of you Harry has a chance."  
"If it's finished why are you hesitating?"  
"To be perfectly clear I just finished and you are the one delaying my delivery."  
"Then I shall be your escort."  
Severus wasn't ready to face Harry. Nor was he ready to see if the potion he had made really would cure the ill wizard.  
"I need to do more work here."  
"You can return to all this toil toil brew and bubble after you see Mr. Potter." Mr. Graves said in a stern voice.  
"I can't face him."  
"Why not? Is the grand Mr. Snape afraid? You shouldn't be. He loves you."  
"I don't believe that." He said securing the cure in a case.  
"Do I need to give you that speech again? If you remain so stubborn you'll only make yourself sick." Mr. Graves said pressing an index finger in his chest. "Hurry up I need to return to a very pregnant husband."  
Severus didn't fight as Mr. Graves pushed him out of the classroom and into his office floo. In a puff of green he was dragged from the infirmary's floo into the room. His eyes went straight to Harry. Harry smiled so wide. His feet moved without his consent towards Harry's bed. Taking Harry's hand he stared into those emerald eyes.  
"I'm sorry I took so long."  
"It's okay."  
Not wasting anymore time he uncorked the potion.  
"I don't know if this will work." He said handing it to Harry.  
"I know that it will."

 

Harry swallowed the potion. It tasted sweet far too sweet. He mentally rated the taste low on the list of foul potions. He could feel his entire body shift between a burning hot and a chilling cold. Severus watched him with a worried look. He held onto Severus's hand tighter. A strange feeling rippled through him. It felt so much different than the potion he had taken over all these days. It wasn't painful only uncomfortable.  
"Are you alright?"  
"As long as you're here I am fine." He smiled.  
With Severus by his side the rode out the waves of discomfort brought on by the potion. Then without warning his lungs contracted so painfully that he broke out into ragged sobs. If this was his last moments of life he was glad that Severus was with him.  
"Potter!" He heard Draco voice followed by several running footsteps.  
"D...Draco."  
"You are not dying on me!"  
"He isn't dying." Dumbledore said.  
"Are you blind!" Draco yelled.  
"The potion is trying to negate the effects of the damaged magical core." Severus said gripping his hand tight.  
The pain and discomfort shrunk slowly. His magic felt like it had stopped from being sucked into a vacuum. So many worried faces looked at him; Severus, Mr. Graves , Newt, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey.  
"I think I'm alright now."  
Madame Pomfrey rushed over to him waving her wand around. Everyone was on edge except for Dumbledore. That knowing twinkle shined brighter than he'd ever seen before.  
"Oh Severus I think you did it!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed.  
"So he's back to normal?" Ron asked.  
"Not yet. It will take a while for the damaged to be repaired."  
Inside his chest he could feel his magic steadily being sewn back together. He was going to live. He wasn't going to leave everyone behind. Surrounded by the people he loved and who loved him he knew he could handle what was thrown his way. Reaching out he cupped Severus's face. Harry didn't care where they were or who was watching as he kissed Severus. Closing his eyes as the kiss was reciprocated he heard Draco whistle and a few gasps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all have no idea how much I want to add on to this fic. Towards the end, I really wanted to add on Draco's POV. Perhaps one day I can go back and add it in. I don't really know since I have abandoned other works to spend a whole month on only this fic. Thank you all for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> After one month of nothing but typing this story I am finally uploading this story! I'm amazed that I made this deadline. This was going to be a one shot, but I accidentally wrote 120+ pages so I have to break it up into pieces.  
> Hope you all like it.  
> I'll put up the other parts later on today. It's 5 am my time already and there's still some editing to do,but the story is completed. I apologize for any missing words etc due to my brain running on limited sleep.


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